This Little Box

This Little Box

Thank you for this little box. I love the flowers on top…the red and pink roses all special formed of clay, and the leaves etched with those lines goin down the middle and little ones for detail goin out. Martha Lou did a fine job. She told me she uses her own box for keeping thank you notes. She says that when you count your blessings, you have more of em. I don’t know whether that’s right or not but here goes. Thank you for the wonderful supper Ma made for my birthday. Thank you for the gifts my sisters gave me like this little box and the chocolate Rosemary got me—boy, she must have saved her pennies for that! And thanks for a good Christmastime and that Rosemary got to bring little Missy over and for my family making my birthday special.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

26 December 1952

Thank you for the snow. So close to Christmas! It felt magical playing out their with the girls, Martha Lou and Kimmy and the neighbor girls Sadie and Kay. And thank you for the fire Ma built so we could all warm up after. Boy, were our fingers cold. That’s all tonight.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

28 December 1952

Mrs. Groves was not in a good mood today. Thank you for the rain coming in so I only had to sweep and cook supper for her and thank you that Tommy Sullivan walked me home to make sure I was put up before the rain started too hard. Thank you that it was so cold he offered me his coat!

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

2 January 1953

Thank you for the green beans Ma cooked tonight because they are Tommy’s favorite and him and his brother just so happened to stop by at supper time. Thank you that Ma made Kimmy clean up after supper so Martha Lou and I could sit on the porch with Tommy and Laurie!!

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

5 January

Mrs. Groves wasn’t too crotchety today so thank you for sparing me and that there weren’t too many dishes so my hands aren’t as dried out as they were last week. And thank you for the book she let me borrow. Perhaps she’s a bit fond of me in her own strange, elderly way.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

11 January 1953

Thank you thank you thank you for the puppies Mr. Sullivan’s hunting dog had and that Tommy brought one over for ME! Okay, Tommy and Laurie brought her for Martha Lou and me, but Tommy winked at me so I knew he picked the one I’d like, with the blue eye. And thank you that Martha Lou thought Daisy was an agreeable name for her.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

20 January 1953

Kimmy fell pretty bad coming back from school. Thank you that she only hurt her arm and nothing worse. I hope it’s better soon. Thank you that she shared with all of us the ice cream Martha Lou made her.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

1 February

I’m sorry I’ve been forgetting to do this so much but thank you for the ice clearing up so Tommy and Laurie came over and even stayed after supper to play cards and Tommy even kissed my cheek when no one was looking!

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

3 March

Ma’s had a fever since late last week. Thank you that Kay and Sadie took up care of Mrs. Groves so I can tend Ma for now. I hope she gets better. Thanks for Tommy bringing supper over that his ma made.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

10 March

Thank you that Ma’s fever broke and Tommy said that if she’s still feeling better Saturday and I don’t need to tend her that we can go for a ride on his pa’s land and have a picnic by the lake! Martha Lou is all for it since it’d like to cheer me up since I’ve been tending Ma so close. I hope she keeps feeling better.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

12 Mar

Ma is still a little weak but doing better and the sun is shining so I get to go with Tommy for our picnic this afternoon! Thank you that the bread turned out well. I would have died if I burnt it. I’m so excited, I don’t know that I’ll be able to eat anyway!

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

14 March 1953

Well, here goes. Martha Lou bought me new stationery for the baby shower yesterday. I wisht she hadn’t because only Kay and Sadie and their ma and Rosemary showed up and one woman from Hartwood Baptist showed up so there’s not much for the baby when it gets here and I wisht she’d bought something more practical. But Martha Lou thinks this is important, too. She reminded me that when you count your blessings, you have more of them. When I started out after my birthday, yeah, it seemed like I mighta felt more blessed since I kept track of them. But lately I told her there’s been so much making me sad and mad I don’t think I have anything to say thank you for. She told me she knows but I ought to try. She’s been keeping up her thank you box this whole time, even after Ma’s funeral and after she stopped seeing Laurie because of what Tommy did. I feel bad she’s having to deal with my mess on top of us losing Ma. And I can hardly understand how she’s still writing these silly notes but she seems to be doing better than the rest of us overall and maybe that’s why, and she’s got a point that I ought to at least try to be happy for the baby. So I’m going to try. Thank you for the sunshine today. That’s all.  

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

28 October 1953

Thanks for the supper Kimmy cooked.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

29 October

Thanks for the rainbow that came after the rain passed. It was pretty.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

30 October 1953

Thanks for the good harvest from the garden. We’ll even have enough berries and herbs to sell some at the market Saturday.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

31 October 1953

Thank you for Daisy comforting me today when I started crying again. She’s one good thing come of the Sullivan family. Maybe this baby will be another.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

1 November

Thank you that Martha Lou is so good at being a sister. I would’ve forgotten Kimmy’s birthday. Thank you that even with my big belly I can get around to baking a cake.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

2 Nov

Thank you that Kimmy liked her cake and Rosemary was right, strawberry is her favorite. Thank you for my sisters.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

3 Nov 1953

Even though it hurts our family to not have the extra money coming in, thank you that Mrs. Groves fired me when she found out. I don’t think I could’ve kept my patience with her, the way this baby is making me feel all emotional and irritable. I hope she treats Sadie better than she treated me.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

4 Nov 1953

Thank you that Mr. Bentley paid Martha Lou well for the mural she finished on his shop. Everyone in town will admire it and when they find out Martha Lou did it they’ll realize some good sure does come out of the Johnson girls.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

5 Nov ‘53

Thank you for the flowers Kimmy picked for me today. They look real nice on the dining table and smell good too. Thank you for the good supper she cooked, too. I hadn’t noticed until now what a responsible young woman she’s growing into.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

6 Nov ‘53

Thank you for the books Sadie brought me from Mrs. Groves’ library. I know it isn’t good to lie but Mrs. Groves never would have let me borrow them and she won’t find out it wasn’t Sadie reading them. I hope she doesn’t ask her more than how she liked them. I may give her a little summary of them so she doesn't seem too suspicious. Thank you that Sadie has stayed friends with me even after she found out.

Sincerely trying,

Euna Jo

7 November 1953

Thank you that Miss Smith was so kind to me in grade school to help me with my reading because if I couldn’t read well, I’d lose my mind having to sit around all the time. The baby has me feeling so tired all the time now. The book I started today is about four sisters and one of them is called by my middle name! And another is named Beth and she reminds me of Martha Lou, the way she’s so contented. Thank you for giving me my own Beth.

Sincerely,

Euna Jo

8 November 1953

Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve been selfish. As I’ve read more of the book, I’ve found myself to be quite petty like the littlest sister Amy. That’s why I have been so mad and sad and Martha Lou is so strong. I’ve been thinking about myself all this time and she’s been choosing to be grateful for all the things going on, even for other people. I asked her this morning what she wrote on her thank you note because she does them after breakfast, dinner, and supper now, three times a day. She told me she thanked you that my pregnancy has been going well and that Kimmy has been enjoying her studies and that Rosemary and Roger are so in love. All this time I’ve only been thanking you for the things that are good for me, but there’s a lot more good going on around me. So thank you that Martha Lou is so joyful like Beth but that she’s healthier and stronger than her, and that Kimmy earned a wonderful marking on her history paper and Missy has such loving parents and that Mrs. Groves has help from Sadie because even though she looks down on me, I’m glad she’s being taken care of.

Sincerely,

Euna Jo

9 November 1953

It was hard starting out to say thank you when I was so angry and sad all the time. All my thoughts were about how mad I was for what Tommy did, and just before Ma passed, the nerve he had! And then I’d be sad that she was gone and he left and I could just go on and on thinking up more reasons to be mad and sad and the thoughts never stopped racing. And when Martha Lou encouraged me to start my notes again I honestly thought I wouldn’t have anything to write in them but every day I have if I look. So thank you for Martha Lou encouraging me. And thank you for Kimmy being that sweet girl she is, and Rosemary for coming to visit even though Missy gets fussy almost every time she makes it out of the house and thank you that Roger is kind to her and Missy will have a good father. And thank you for Ma raising us right even though Pa left so long ago. She was so strong. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it like her.

Sincerely trying my hardest,

Euna Jo

10 November 1953

Oh boy, it’s been a whirlwind of a week. Sunday Martha Lou had to stay at Rosemary’s because her and Missy caught a cold and Roger didn’t know what to do, and Kimmy stayed up all night doing her studies because tests are coming up and so I cooked and cleaned and I was so worn out I fell right asleep again. Monday Sadie came over midday and told me Mrs. Groves wanted to talk to me. I about keeled over! Martha Lou was over at Rosemary’s still and Kimmy was still stuck in her studies so I didn’t have anyone to talk to and I fretted and fretted and forgot about my notes. Then Tuesday I walked over to Mrs. Groves’. She told me she was sorry for firing me and she was terribly upset because she had her own baby out of wedlock and she gave him for adoption and never told anyone about it and me getting pregnant brought it all back to her and she couldn’t be near me. We talked on and on to each other and even cried. Eventually I went home but all that walking wore me clean out and I went to sleep again and Wednesday I went over and we spent the day talking again and I haven’t had the mind to do my notes until right now. Thank you that I got pregnant this way even though it is not how I ever imagined my life because maybe it needed to be like this for Mrs. Groves to finally be able to tell someone her story. And thank you that I have my sisters and I won’t have to give up my baby like she did. I hope she meets him some day. And thank you for Rosemary and Missy starting to feel better. I can’t wait for Martha Lou to come home tonight for supper and I can finally tell her everything.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

15 November 1953

I’m starting to get quite excited for the baby to come. Kimmy’s just sure it’s a girl. She said she’s had dreams about it. When Rosemary heard she rolled her eyes and said that’s just what this family needs, another girl. Martha Lou hasn’t said what she thinks but I think we’re all hoping for a girl and if it is I think I’ll name her Beth because that’s the character that reminds me of Martha Lou and I hope my girl is like her. Thank you for my sisters supporting me and now even Mrs. Groves being kind and that Beth will have Missy so close in age to be her cousin. And thank you that Kimmy found out her test results and of course they were outstanding! She was worried but we all knew she did well. And thank you that Rosemary and Missy are feeling much better and Martha Lou can stay at home. We had such fun chatting last night. Thank you for that, too.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

16 November 1953

Boy it’s been a hard few days. I was having such pains yesterday and getting sick and couldn’t keep my food down and I’ve hardly slept and Kimmy even stayed home from school to help Martha Lou with me and the house so she could still get some of her painting work done down the road. I wisht she didn’t have to because she loves school so much but I have sure appreshiated her help. I’m not feeling much better now but my mind is working straight so I asked her to bring me my stationery and box. Thank you for Kimmy’s help and for Martha Lou’s work and that Beth is going to have the best aunts and thank you that things have started being different in me since doing these notes because I feel like I’m starting to be the kind of person that can love her baby like Ma loved us, not thinking all about herself. There’s more but my hand is so tired.

Yours sincerely,

Euna Jo

19 November 1953

The doctor said EJ may be here a few more days and she wanted me to write her notes while she’s in the hospital so Kimmy went home and got the box. EJ says thank you for a kind doctor and that Mr. and Mrs. Bentley were kind enough to drive us here when Kay told them how bad EJ was hurting. And thank you for the pink on the walls because it makes her sure that her baby is a girl.

Your daughter,

Martha Lou Johnson

21 November 1953

How remarkably precious that EJ’s last words were her thanks to you? She thanks you that “I got to see Beth and name her—Beth Groves Johnson.” And she thanks you that “Beth will have a mother even better than myself to raise her…” That can’t be true. But thank you that I will get to try, for my EJ.

Your grieving daughter,

Martha Lou Johnson

EJ’s last and Beth’s first day: 22 November 1953

I don’t even know how to feel, what to think…I knew Mama wasn’t my real mom and that’s why we don’t have the same last name, and before her passing Mrs. Groves would tell me how much she loved my mother Euna Jo and it was because of her that her son, Papa, found her and met Mama…but Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, my grandparents? It all adds up, though, the way they avoid me, the way Mr. Tommy—no, that snake who deserves no name—never comes to see his parents and practically ran the other way the one time he saw me in town. Part of me is angry at Mama…but would I have been able to handle all this sooner? I don’t even know if I can handle it now, but I’m gonna have to try. And if this worked for my mother…maybe it’ll work for me. So here I begin. Thank you for this little box.

Sincerely,

Beth Groves Johnson

26 December 1973