Changing the World: Auntie Alpha
he’s only 4’11,” but she makes eye contact with everyone she passes. Heads nod politely and smiles are returned. She barely weighs 100 pounds, but she is noticed in a crowd. She is soft-spoken and has the tiniest handwriting I’ve ever seen, but she communicates a powerful message, making a difference to one person at a time. What if every family had an Auntie Alpha? Though never married, she loves more purely than some couples. Though never a mother, she nurtures from a deep well. Though she lives alone, she befriends strangers within minutes. Though in her 90s, she has the optimism of a 20-year old; her childlike excitement leaves no room for crotchety complaints from herself or anyone else. What if every family had an Auntie Alpha? Some years ago, Auntie Alpha visited us for a few weeks. Transplanted from metropolitan New York City to rural Illinois for a month, she won the hearts of our friends, the children in our church, and even the Walmart clerk. When the clerk greeted her with a broad smile exclaiming, “Oh hi! I remember you from last week! Are you still enjoying your visit?” I realized there was something unique about Auntie Alpha. Of all the hundreds of people through his lane, why did she stand out? What did she give the clerk that
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