So, I had a 20 mile bike ride planned with a friend this morning but obviously that wasn't happening. I immediately contacted a coffee buddy and we made plans to meet and catch up. I love coffee and I love chit-chatting over coffee = coffee JOY.
As I was driving to meet her, my cell rang and I recognized the number as my mother-in-law. Wellllll - actually my X-mother-in-law but honestly? She's been my Mama for almost my whole life - since I was 15. So she is wayyyyy more than a mother-in-law.
I immediately and joyfully answered and was greeted with her cheery voice. It was like a deja vu from a few months ago. She told me she had something for me from my X. Back in June, she called and told me she had something for me from my X's daughter Sandy (my X-stepdaughter.) (Wow - there's a lot of Xs in this blog!)
My Mama is like the post office for Xs!
So I made plans to stop in for a visit later in the morning. She gave me this.
It's an original photo that was taken by my Mama's sister, Carol (my X-aunt - OY, another X!). It was a JOY filled moment. I've posted this photo on FB before but I only owned a digital copy. That would be me at 23 looking 14. Right?
PS - it won a blue ribbon at the local fair that year - JUST SAYIN'...
Anyway - I thought it was so thoughtful for my X-guy to send this to me through his mom. Only a few months before, his daughter Sandy sent me THIS thru his mom:
Sandy saw a Facebook photo I posted - on Memorial Day, I think it was - of my father's flag from his funeral, which I displayed on a bookshelf in my living room. About a month after the post, my Mama made that call that she had something for me and it was THIS flag box! Could I have been more surprised? But more than that? I caught amazing JOY. It was one of THE most thoughtful gifts I had ever received.
I received this flag at my father's funeral in 2011. My intention was to buy a box for it to display in. The flag was carefully put away in a chest awaiting that day. I finally looked for one on Amazon and put it in my cart to be purchased at a later date when I had a bit of cash for myself (like that ever happens with 3 teenagers).
4 years went by and I finally decided to pull the folded flag out into my view so I would be reminded to make the purchase. In May of this year I had an epiphany. The box was still not bought but a light bulb went off over my head. I didn't need a box! I have a beautiful bookshelf to display it on and that's what I did! I was so happy that it finally had a home. I truly had all intentions of getting that darn box still, though! And then the call came. CRAZY JOY!!!!! Getting this gift was so fitting on so many levels.
So there you have it - a day of Xs. A day filled with JOY - receiving the gift of this photo, remembering the gift of my flag box, seeing my X-in-laws (Seeing YOU for coffee, Melissa - but you're not an X so you don't get top billing but you always bring me JOY! LOL) and most importantly, connecting my Xs with the Os in my heart. Does it get more JOYful on Day 6? XO
When you still have so many X's next to your O's... you know you did something right.
ReplyDeleteIdk what I did or didn't do but it feels good to have my Xs and Os in the same heart space.
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