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First, I wish to say “thank you” to a kind couple in Nags Head who, in conjunction with a kind man in Colington, worked together to do something special for a U.S.A.F. veteran and his wife in Kill Devil Hills. People like them who care about our veterans make me smile. Thank you all here and in Heaven and back – you know why.

With the horrible news of some sort almost every day anymore, it’s refreshing and it means a lot to see good things happen for good people just for a change!

The good things around us? Kindness toward others, loyalty to our veteran population, neighbors helping neighbors taking hot meals and food donations to the shut-ins and homebound, prayers spoken in churches and in quiet places at home for those who are sick, lonely or broken hearted, communities who stick together and come to help folks in neighboring towns and villages on the Outer Banks when someone is downtrodden or struggling financially and watermen who stick with their “brothers” on the water to help navigate them in when shoaling west side of the bridge occurs. Fortunately, I could go on and on.

We have so much to embrace with gladness and I can’t thank our Lord enough for good people and good things done for each other. As a society, we appreciate the good in people and there is far greater good than bad, that’s for sure!

A very dear friend of mine – whom I hadn’t seen in a long time – and I reconnected recently. I had listed their soundfront home in Stumpy Point some years ago. It wasn’t on the market long when it sold and they moved to Engelhard. We hadn’t spent time doing crafts, chatting and just hanging out together in years.

She had reached out to me through Facebook and when I called her, we talked for a long time. We laughed and rekindled old memories of “back in the day.” Then she told me she was sick and about what she had been going through. It broke my heart. Fortunately, within a couple of days her husband had a business appointment in Wanchese and she was able to ride over here with him and visit with me for a while. Again, we laughed and talked and it was as if we had never missed a beat with no lapse in time. I love my friend a lot (and her husband and children). Being with her for those two hours overshadowed all the stress of today’s negative news and being in her company lifted my spirits.

Life, folks, is so short and even with all the pooh-pooh that invades our thoughts and our day-to-day happiness dealing with monster Covid-19, there’s just too much happiness, goodness and love all around not to embrace the positive side of life.

My friend of which I speak is a talented, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and Christian. She’s a blessing to all who know her and to know her is to love her. I’m praying for a healing in her body and I am proud and blessed by her upbeat attitude, her beautiful smile and for her outlook toward God’s plan for her life.

When she was at my house and her husband came in briefly when dropping her off and picking her up, the love for his wife is and has always been so apparent and so sweet – you can just tell – and I couldn’t help but think about my Billy and how much I miss his affection and his sweet love for me, for each other.

We are blessed. We are so blessed to have known true, passionate love with our spouse or significant other and even though Billy has lived in Heaven for almost six years now, I thrive on the awesome memories of our 48-plus years together. I miss him from morning to night. I miss his dry sense of humor, his “Billy-isms,” his love of this country, his pride in having served in our U.S. Army, his A+ fatherhood and a granddaddy “Pappy” that instilled pride in our children and grandchildren. He wasn’t prideful, but he had pride in the things around him that mattered. You now, like self-respect, honor, dignity and love for the less fortunate. In many ways, he was my best teacher, my mentor and, most assuredly, my HERO.

So for my two cents worth in this Gig Line, love your spouse, be thankful you still have him or her to physically hold, hug and kiss every day, cherish the years you had together, feed off the happy times and when the news of today make your head spin, consider all the good that is in the world regardless and then thank God.

Veterans, please don’t miss next week’s Gig Line. I have something and maybe two “somethings” incredibly special to share with you (I hope I can share the info by then depending on how far along we are in the plans). Because the subject is in its initial organizing stage, I can only say that I think you would really like it and I can’t wait!

Thank you to all the businesses that support and honor our veterans that offer a veteran discount when a veteran can show their free Dare County Veteran Discount Card (or other adequate military I.D.) verifying they have served our great country. If you don’t know about the card that is offered through the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council, as secretary, please call/or text my cell at 252-202-2058 and/or review its benefit on www.darenc.com/veterans. Also, if you would like to talk to Patty O’Sullivan, our veteran service officer, about a potential medical claim for disability compensation through the V.A. contact her office at 252-475-5604 and leave a detailed message with your name and phone number.

Dare County is a big supporter of our veterans and our military. As a veteran, you are due respect, honor and gratitude and we love you, so call on us, okay?

Until next time, stay healthy, safe and happy. God is good, life is precious and anybody can tell you that his ole girl is crazy about veterans, so keep in touch and please share your thoughts, ideas, comments (good, bad or indifferent) with me on giglineheroes@aol.com and if you’re in need of a readily available sleeping aid, I suggest you try www.giglineheroes.com.  Anyway, the good Lord loves you and so do I! Take care and stay tuned! P.S., please pray for my friend; you don’t need her name, God knows who she is.

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