About a week ago, a friend of mine gave me a
postcard — the postcard pictured here. She had been to a coin show in
Charlotte, NC and she told me there was a guy selling old letters and
postcards. She saw this card with “Bush’s mansion” on it and knowing it’s my
maiden name, she bought it for me.
I was glad to have it. I love old cards and
letters especially postcards. I collect postcards! Yes, really. I have
collected them from all over the country and some from a few overseas trips.
This postcard was intriguing because it was
sent to a person living on the street where my Dad and Uncle grew up in western
North Carolina. It was also interesting because of the picture on the front
where someone had written “Bush’s mansion.”
I couldn’t imagine where this picture on the
front of the postcard was taken as the text indicating its location was marked
out. I looked it over and showed it to a few people. No one recognized anything
about it. No one identified it. No one claimed its history.
My Uncle used to keep up with the history of
our family genealogy, and knows quite a few people. About a week ago, I decided
to mail the card to him where he now lives in Washington, DC.
With work and everything in-between, I forgot
about mailing the old card. I did take a picture of it, though, front and back
so I could look at it later.
Yesterday, he called me to thank me for
sending him this old postcard. And guess what? He recognized the building on
the front of the card, as well as the card’s recipient.
How? Why? What? When?
My Uncle said _he_ was the one who had
originally written and mailed the card! He wrote the card when he was 19 maybe
20 years. He was out of town in Raleigh for the summer. Upon writing the card,
he crossed out the text identifying the location on the front putting “Bush’s
mansion” in its place — he told me it had actually been the old NC Governor’s
mansion.
He wrote and mailed the card to their
neighbor across the street at the time. He didn’t know the house number, so he
put their name and the street name and city, state and zip only on it. Still,
the card wound up in their mailbox — a benefit of living in a small town. He
signed the card “Col. Bush” — he said that was due to his aspirations to be a
Colonel. He didn’t quite make Colonel, but he actually is a retired Captain in
the Navy.
Today, my Uncle was amazed at my having sent
this old postcard to him last week. He thought I’d found it cleaning up at my
Mom’s house as I’d mailed the card to him along with some other old books and
things.
I told him I hadn’t found the card while
cleaning. I relayed to him that the card was given to me by a friend about a
week ago!
I’m always joking with my friends about how
everyone needs that New Age everything happens for a reason friend and how I’m
that friend for them. And yes I do meditate, do a little yoga, use essential
oils, go see Tibetan monks (well I’m going for the first time to see them this
weekend,) and I am a vegetarian. In this case, though, yes real life, reasons,
coincidences here ya go!
The friend who got the postcard for me at the
coin show has been my friend for about 10 years. We’ve stayed friends all this
time occasionally hanging out together or with our families.
I have always believed that yes you do meet
people for a reason. I also believe you have to constantly be open to
possibilities, and that things happen for a reason.
Two days after my Uncle called me and solved
the mystery, a cousin in an online family group I belong to identified the picture
of the Governor’s mansion. So far, besides my Uncle, that’s the only other
person I came across with an inkling as to the card’s history.
The next time I send a postcard, though, I
will remember this one sole card won’t be traveling alone. I will remember that
this postcard my Uncle labeled as his home away from home for the summer aka
“Bush’s mansion” traveled in 1949 from him to his neighbor to present day at a
coin show in 2019 to my friend, to me and then finally circling back to him.
This card brought with it a circle of life, a message in a bottle, a postcard
from one friend to another.
Some people you are simply meant to be
friends with. Some people are meant to be in your life.
And that my friends is the way to travel
through life. As I learned this week, even the simplest things such as a
postcard bring with them a reason!
No comments:
Post a Comment