A Gift From An Angel

Serendipity.  Luck.  Coincidence. Blessing.

I'll just call it a gift from am angel.

You see, this morning a girlfriend posted on her Facebook page about a family in need.  A twin bed, microwave, dishes, silverware were at the top of the list for a single mom and her kids who are sleeping on the floor.

So, I tested our spare microwave to be sure it still worked.  (When you get married at 42 you tend to have some duplicates.)  Then I started thinking about other household items we might have available.
  As I dug through the closet I came across 2 boxes labeled Christmas.  My interest was piqued as I hadn't seen those boxes for years. (Can I just tell you that if I still have boxes I haven't opened in years, I need to get out my tacky kindle stand and re-read Jen Hatmaker's book 7. Talk about excess.)

I pulled the boxes out into the middle of the living room and dug in.  Oh, isn't this carousel horse ornament cute?  "Christmas 1992" read the little brass flag trailing from the pole with imaginary wind. Yank, tug - the little flag went into the trash.

Oh, isn't this little San Francisco trolley ornament cute.  Keep.  Oh, isn't this carousel horse ornament cute?  Wait a second!  1993. 1994.  Gosh, I was really into carousel horses, wasn't I?  Thankfully, they still bring fond memories and make me smile.

There were lots of those cheap-o brass ornaments.  (Tossed 'em right into the recycling bag.)  There were those puffy ceramic ornaments which give the impression of being quilted if the painter has some skill.  Oh wait. This will help.

  Each year we put out those reindeer - which, I admit are a little tacky. They were *ahem* hand-crafted by a sweet lady named Mary.  She was a co-worker and sold them as a hobby/side job.  I bought them back in 1986 or so.  Yeah, silly, I know.  But, I know they were made with love.

(Side note.  When I left for college, Mary arranged for me to meet her son who attended there.  While I'm sure she might have had hopes, there were no sparks of romance.  However, her son walked me through the student union past the organization mailboxes.  I had a question about one of the clubs and I left a note in the mailbox.  The president of the organization called me.  And, 25 years later we were married.

Luck?  Serendipity?
I'll just take Mary's referral to meet her son as a blessing.)

Back to the box I hadn't opened in forever.
Pouring through the ornaments I realized  how long they had been tucked away.
I think it was 1998.   When my mom passed away.

Wanna know what I found in the bottom of the box?
I should tell you that mom bought for the future.  As in, she bought all of the Disney VHS tapes when they came out...for my kids.  I wasn't married. And I didn't have kids.

  (The movies were later donated to a local church for their children's ministry.)

So, what did I find in the bottom of the box?
A wedding ornament.
The one in the photo above.

An ornament that probably puzzled me when she gave it to me.
I honestly don't remember.
Since i liked vintage-y things and things with ribbons I likely smiled and said a polite thank you.

But now, 15 years after she passed away, finding the ornament was like mom giving us an anniversary gift.  Or, a Christmas gift.  A wedding ornament for our tree.
Serendipity?
Luck?
I'll call it a gift from an angel.

Thanks Mom.
And a  very Merry Christmas to All.

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