Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

The Pinecone | February 2026 • 9 • Reflections By Maxie Dunnam February Vesper Services 6:30pm | Performing Arts Center The way to get help is to ask for it. Everybody needs someone to hold them up and to encourage them when they face pain and adversity. When Nathaniel Hawthorne came home in utter despair and failure after losing his job in the Customs House, his wife responded, “Now you can write that book you have always wanted to write.” Under that kind of uplifting support, Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, one of the greatest pieces of literature the world has ever known. The truth is, there is someone there for each of us, who will perform that saving work in our life - if we will get beyond our self-sufficient pride and share with another who is willing to listen and to care. The way to get help is to ask for it - at least let someone know we need it. Also, each of us can be that needed source of encouragement for another. THE SUPPORTWE NEED February 5: Eric Brand Lay Teacher, Advent Presbyterian February 12: The Miracles Baddour Center Choir - Amy Twilley, Director February 19: Michael Pence Lead Pastor, Rossville Church February 26: Ronnie Rowe Associate Pastor, Independent Presbyterian When Casey arrived in South Vietnam in July, the weather was dry and quite hot, as he had expected. Dust covered everything, and mosquitoes thrived where enough water stood to support them. They loved the rice paddies! But now it was November, and the dust was mud. The monsoon season had arrived in September and wouldn’t leave until late December. It was a surprise to Casey, a shock really. In short, the weather was miserable. Persistent, cold rain was interrupted by brief periods of cold drizzle. And the constant high humidity subjected his clothes to mold and mildew, not to mention his bedding. Mail call was a pleasant diversion from this mood-dampening environment. Casey was blessed with parents who wrote regularly and occasionally sent “care packages” filled with food and other treats not otherwise available there. But what he looked forward to most were the letters from his fiancé, always SWAK’ed (sealed with a kiss) on the glue flap and the postage upside down, code for, “I love you!” They exchanged letters once a week. With the monsoon though, the aircraft that brought the mail were sometimes grounded. It wasn’t unusual for a letter to be delayed for a few days, even a week. So, Casey didn’t worry when a week went by without a letter. But two weeks? Now, that was strange. Finally, her letter arrived the day his chow hall was serving Thanksgiving dinner, a real treat and morale booster. But Casey couldn’t eat a bite. His stomach turned bitter and literally hurt. He couldn’t deal with the joy that pervaded the chow hall conversation. It was a “Dear John” letter. Unbelievable! They were in love, pledged their fidelity to each other, planned to wed when he came home, planned to have a family and live happily ever after. Now, she had cast all of that aside. To say Casey was crushed would be an understatement. He was devastated! Why? As He lay on his cot, literally writhing in agony, someone began shaking him. “Lieutenant, wake up, grab your gear!” they shouted. Casey could hear the midnight wail of the alert siren signaling a rocket or mortar attack. Instantly, he did as instructed, so unbelievably happy to hear that siren. Casey wasn’t happy about the attack. He was happy to realize that he’d been having a nightmare, a dream more frightening than his scramble to a bunker. TOPIC: Write a poem or story about A Letter I Received Story by Ken Carver Poetry & Writing Club JOIN THE CLUB February 2nd at 9:30 am in the LCR THE DREADED LETTER KenCarver