DEAR ABBY: You asked your readers to share acts of kindness. I experienced one recently that still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.
My husband had open-heart surgery, lost his voice due to an overdose of anesthesia, and came home a quadriplegic.
Our home became badly neglected because he was unable to do all the "honey do's" he had taken care of prior to his surgery.
My friend Mary came to our home one day and started to help me with the dishes. She soon realized that our garbage disposal didn't work, the dishwasher was on the blink, our sliding glass door was off its track, the lock was broken and the screen had fallen off.
The next week, Mary returned with her husband, Ed, and three other couples. The women brought breakfast and lunch for everyone, and the men brought their tools and expertise. For eight hours they donated their hands and skills.
It was so nice to have everything repaired, and the yard never looked better. Like the song says, "There are angels among us, sent from someone up above."
We live in a world where we can perform acts of kindness every day -- if we just open our eyes and see the opportunity. -- DARLENE GODSEY, KANSAS CITY, MO.
DEAR DARLENE: The last line of your letter says it all. What an admirable principle by which to live.