A surprise in the mail

[New2CutThroats]

I came home from a particularly difficult day at the doctor's office to find a package sitting outside my apartment door. (and kudos to the postal carrier who came up to my apartment instead of leaving a notice for me to pick it up at the post office, since the package didn't quite fit in my mailbox. He knows I have mobility issues, and so my hats off to him for saving me the trip)

So, I picked up the package wondering what it could be as I wasn't expecting anything in the mail. And to my great surprise and joy, I was gifted with a used, but beautiful strop from a member here! Thank You Ivan. I can only assume you got my address from another generous member here who sent me a honed and stropped shave ready razor to start my straight shaving journey.

I am deeply moved by this generosity. I have a had a very difficult two years, not the worst of which was losing my job recently. And so these acts of human kindness really mean a lot to me. I hesitate to share these next pieces, and I won't go into too much detail, but the last two years have been a bit of nightmare for me. Quite the challenge. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with a chronic and degenerative disease. I was with the love of my life at the time and she was nothing less than gorgeous and supportive through it all. But then, one night, nearly a year and a half ago, I lost her to a drunk driver. She lived about an hour outside the city and was on her way to see me, when a drunk, driving too fast and in the wrong lane hit her head on, and I have not been able to get over the guilt. She was coming to see me.
The stress of all this is hard on my disease, and it may have created a flare up that I haven't been able to really "flare down" since. Losing my job, doesn't compare to losing her. And it's only been recently that I have been able to come out of my despair over losing her. ( I think) I'll never meet another like her. And some days, all I want to do is join her, but I know that isn't the right thing to do and she would want me to fight for my life. So most days, I do, to honour her.

Anyway, these gifts from members here have made me grateful and have touched me deeply. Even though this illness has eaten all my savings, and I'm living at a below poverty line level, I am still hopeful. That some day I will find my way back to work and be well enough to do so, although my doctor doesn't even want me thinking about working right now. And given my condition right now, I suppose he is right. Nothing lasts forever they say. So I still hold out hope that I will be able to work again.

Sorry for the depressing story guys. But, I wanted you to know why this means so much to me; it really means more than you could know to have been gifted like this; the kindness of you so called 'strangers' astounds me.

Thank you Ben. Thank you Ivan. Thanks to everyone who has been so kind and generous with their knowledge of all things straight shaving. It's been a blessing signing up as a member here, and reading all this info is distracting in a really good way. Thanks again.

Bless all your kind hearts.