Cheers for helpful hands at the Cowtown Marathon and beyond

Cheers: To Dan and Linda Merkel for all the help and kindness they have done and continue to do for us. They are the greatest neighbors ever.

Cheers: To the Children’s Education Program volunteers who selflessly usher children at Bass Performance Hall in all kinds of weather and every situation so they remain safe and to assure that their visit is a good one. Some have volunteered for 20 years, since the hall opened. You are our angels. We love you.

Cheers: To the person who paid for my husband’s and my breakfast at the IHOP on South Cherry Lane in White Settlement the other morning. We gratefully appreciate your kindness.

Cheers: To the staff of Genghis Grill at North East Mall in Hurst. I had taken my wife to the mall, and as we were walking back to our car, she became very weak and could no longer walk. I told her to sit in one of the restaurant’s outdoor chairs while I got our car. One of the staff members noticed my wife was in distress and brought her water and stayed with her until I came back with the car. Kudos to that caring young lady.

Cheers: To the mother-daughter dynamic duo who found my phone at Walmart near Ridgmar Mall. After being paged, I met the cheerful pair at the customer service counter, where they were waiting with my phone. Many thanks for their time, honesty, kindness and thoughtfulness. I am sending blessings and good will their way.

Cheers: And great thanks to Dan Roark and John Nash with Wells Fargo Advisors for above-and-beyond service on short notice for a request with a tight deadline.

Jeers: To all pit bull owners who are unaware of the savage attacks in which animals like theirs have killed or maimed innocent adults — and children. What are you thinking? I believe there are many other breeds that could bless you.

Cheers: To the brave residents who were first to invest in the Walsh development, previously known as Walsh Ranch. Surely there were many hiccups being the first into a new area outside the city. And jeers to those who did not do their homework. Dense housing in Walsh was approved at least 15 years ago.

Cheers: To Heidi Schwartz and her outstanding staff and volunteers who produced another highly successful Cowtown Marathon. This gets better every year. A special thanks to the medical students from UNT Health Science Center for your enthusiastic support. We are proud to know that you will soon be our doctors.

Cheers: To members of the band and dance team from H.F. Stevens Middle School in Crowley. They performed for the grand opening of the 7-Eleven store on Crowley Road in 32 degree temperatures and heavy mist. They looked and sounded as if there were no adverse conditions. Band and dance directors Mrs. Ledesma and Mrs. Fleming have instilled in them the pride to do 100 percent, no matter the conditions.

Cheers: And many thanks to whoever bought lunch for my brother and me on Sunday, Feb. 17, at Joe’s Coffee Shop on Denton Highway in Watauga. You were so kind and thoughtful to do this, and we appreciate it so very much.

Cheers: To a nice stranger, Allen Rogers, who paid my bill at the veterinary facility Feb. 16. I took my dog there to send her “over the rainbow.”

His kindness certainly helped me during a very sad time. Compassion lives.

Cheers: To one of the angels who are all around us. On Jan. 23, I met one. She works at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth downtown. She registers everyone. Her name is Rose. Her smile is a ray of sunshine. While I waited in a wheelchair for a procedure, she reached over, put her hand on mine and asked if she could pray for me. It was powerful. Yes, people, angels are among us.

Cheers: To the indoor soccer referees at the Elzie Odom Athletic Center in Arlington for their dedication and commitment to the safety of the kids in the Arlington Parks and Recreation program, led by their director Jimmy Reilly. Kudos to Zane, Devin, Mohammed, Guvner, Uthmaan, Ryan, Uwais and everyone else.