Linda's Last Gift
In the face of death, a young teacher
decided to give herself away.
Linda British was an outstanding
teacher who felt that if she had the time,
she would like to create great art and poetry.
When she was 28, however,
doctors discovered that she had a brain tumor.
Her chances of surviving an operation
were about two percent.
Therefore, rather than operate immediately,
the doctors chose to wait six months.
During those six months,
Linda wrote and drew feverishly.
All of her poems, except one, were published.
All of her drawings, except one,
were shown and sold at leading galleries.
At the end of six months,
she had the operation.
The night before the operation,
she decided to give herself away.
In case of her death, she wrote a will,
donating all of her body parts
to those who needed them.
Unfortunately, Linda's operation was fatal.
Subsequently, her eyes went to an eye bank
in South Carolina.
A young man, age 28,
went from darkness to sight.
That young man was so grateful
that he wrote to the eye bank
thanking it for existing.
It was only the second thank you
the eye bank had received
after giving out 30,000 eyes!
Furthermore, he said he wanted
to thank the parents of the donor.
He was given the name of the British family
and he decided to fly to see them.
He arrived unannounced and rang the doorbell.
After hearing his introduction,
Mrs. British reached out and embraced him.
She said, "Young man,
if you've got nowhere to go,
my husband and I would love
for you to spend your weekend with us."
He stayed, and as he was looking
around Linda's room,
he saw that she'd read Plato.
He'd read Plato in Braille.
She'd read Hegel.
He'd read Hegel in Braille.
The next morning, Mrs. British
looked at him and said,
"I've see you before,
but I don't know where."
All of a sudden, she remembered.
She ran upstairs and pulled out
the last portrait Linda had ever drawn.
It was a portrait of her ideal man.
The picture was virtually identical
to this young man who had received Linda's eyes.
The mother read the last poem
Linda had written:
Two hearts passing in the night
Falling in love -- never able
to gain each other's sight.
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This page is Copyright © August 1998 by
Pat Cox
Valley Web Page and Technology Services
Last updated 5th October 1999
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