Letter To A Friend

Goodbye for now #24!

Recently, I almost had an opportunity to rent a house.
It was an opportunity I had been hoping to find this last month or so.

Here is why I didn't end up renting the house.

Firstly, it was ideal. I was waiting for the call to sign the lease.
The call came but it was not to sign the lease.
It was the property owner calling to explain to me why she would not rent it to me because she had decided to rent it to another party.

The property owner is a friend. A very good person. That is why we are friends.

There is a family that is going through a challenging job loss/financial situation.
This couple had already viewed the home. They wanted to rent it for six months. However, they had to sell their home first due to the financial issues/income loss they are dealing with.
They are a family, a couple with children. The husband is gone all week working far from home and that job will end in the near future also.
They are trying to survive an economic crisis in their lives.

They had informed the owner that they would be in contact to commit to the rental by last Wednesday ... if their house sold. If it didn't sell then they would have to seek shelter with friends and family at separate locations.

So less than an hour before I was to sign the lease this past Saturday, my friend called and started to apologize and explain.
Within a sentence or two it was obvious this family needed this temporary rental.

Yes I liked it very much. It would have been wonderful to be there by this December first.

But ... I have a roof over my head!
I am not in crisis. I do not need this property to keep my family or life intact.

Friend is very complimentary, grateful and apologetic.

Helping people is not an option. Not for people like my friend.
Where possible and necessary it is required behaviour as part of our moral commitment, isn't it?

What a wonderful friend.