Our friend Susan Popper came to visit today, and as always, she wanted to go to the Mansion, she loves being there and talking to the residents. She is a natural.

It turned out to be an especially good idea, Peggie, who turned 75 recently, got some medical news this week that frightened her, and Susan, who works in a hospital, talked to her about it. Peggie needed to talk about it, health, illness and death are the permanent residents of the Mansion, the people come and go.

These issues are always lurking just below the surface. Susan told Peggie her symptoms were quite treatable, and her doctors knew what they were doing. The cardinal rule of volunteer work is to listen – our job is not to make promises or give assurances, we can’t predict the future or ever lie to a patient or person we are seeing.

Susan listened and gently guided Peggie through her fears. She returned to the spirit of the party going on around here.

Thursday at 5:30, the Mansion is holding it’s Christmas Party, I will be there. Thanks to your generosity, it is going to be an especially lively and festive Christmas, everyone will have something to open and enjoy, that is not always the case.

On Friday, there will be a horse-drawn sleigh ride on wheels, weather permitting. I’ll be there too.

I was touched watching Peggie and Susan talk. I like this idea of a circle widening around the Army Of Good, it is a glorious thing to see, it brings light to darkness.