Wanda, who was 90 years old, felt like she was all alone and sad. It’s a common feeling for older people whose friends have died and who may not have family to take care of them.
Wanda wanted to connect with other people, so she took things into her own hands. She wrote a note and put it on the door of Marleen Brooks, a neighbor in San Francisco.
Wanda’s letter was a simple, sincere request.
On the card, it said, ‘Would you think about becoming my friend. I’m 90, and I live by myself. All of my old friends have died. I’m so scared and lonely. Please let me pray for someone.’
When Marleen got Wanda’s message, it broke her heart, but she said, ‘On the bright side, it looks like I’ll be getting a new friend.’
The next night, Marleen brought cupcakes with her when she went to Wanda’s house with a friend to meet her.
Marleen then wrote to KTVU News’s Frank Somerville to tell him what had happened.
‘Frank!
She’s a lovely person!
And she was so happy when we got there.
‘I hope you didn’t think I was dumb for writing you, but I had to do something,’ Wanda said.
We really appreciate you coming by.
Even though I’ve lived here for 50 years, I’ve never met a single friend.
Wanda has three boys. Last year, one of them died from cancer.
The other two aren’t very close.
She is 90 years old, uses oxygen, and has heart disease, osteoporosis, and other health problems.
We gave her cupcakes instead of banana bread because we didn’t have time at work to bake it.
I also told her she
could call us whenever she wanted and that I would come back to see her.
‘I’m sure that Wanda and I will have a good time.’
After Wanda told her story, hundreds of people shared her message on Facebook.
‘I adore this story,” said Frank. And I’m delighted for Wanda. However, as I pointed out in my opening piece, Wanda is not the only one experiencing loneliness.
Please think about going to their door and introducing yourself. I am aware that it would mean the world to them. And who knows? You might meet a new friend.
This is wise counsel. Consider helping out at a local senior living community or senior center. There are numerous ways to contribute and change things.
In addition, Marleen said she wanted to “remind people that there are a lot of lonely people out there” by sharing her story.
‘In particular, the elderly.’ She said, ‘Maybe try walking over to their house and saying hi if you know someone like that in your neighborhood.
Also bring them some cookies. I have no doubt that you’ll make their day better. At the same time, you might meet new people. What a wonderful concept!
It’s great to see people make the effort to interact with Wanda and be her friends, like Marleen. If so, kindly let us know.