I wrote this 10 years ago, but never published it in my blog. Hope it hit’s your heart……
The strangest thing happened this morning. Let me say up front, I'm not a person that believes in talking to the "beyond" or superstitious in any way. But what happened today, got my attention.
I swear this happened and makes me smile every time I think about it. But let me put it in perspective so you too can appreciate the significance.
I lost my wife to two colon cancers a year and a half ago. She loved Christmas, she would actually “glow” as bright as the tree in Rockefeller Center for weeks as the special day approached!
She was the type of person that always had boxes of Christmas wrapping paper, gift tags, gift bags, bows, etc, year round. Why? Because she never knew when she would find that special gift for the special person in her life. She was childlike during her favorite days of the year. It was beautiful and transformational, as she contagiously put you into her happy, loving “Christmas Extravaganza” attitude.
That said, and it was only the 2nd season now alone, I was feeling melancholy, missing her and her aura, as would be expected on her Christmas Day.
But it was Christmas morning and my procrastination caught up with me and I needed to wrap my son's gift as I was going to have brunch with he and his then girlfriend (now wife of 8 years) and I hadn’t wrapped anything.
So I went to the guest room this morning, where the Christmas wrapping stuff was still hiding. I found it, still taped up from the move here over a year ago. I had moved from the house I “bought for Leslie” 15 years prior. But it was too big, too far out of town, and too many special memories. So I moved back to a house I’ve owned for 30+ years ago, which my son had been living, but had been empty for some time.
I quickly cut the “moving tape” from the long Christmas colored container and flipped open the long green cover. Inside were a plethora of various colored/sized bows, unopened rolls of wrapping paper, and 100’s of package tags spread throughout the container.
In the bottom left corner of the box was a small Minnie Mouse overstuffed make-up bag with its price tag still attached. I picked it up, and unzipped it open. It was filled with crammed with various name cards, about 50 of them squeezed into the bag. I blindly picked out one to use and about lost it. Of all the cards in the bag and box, literally 100’s, I chose the most precious card imaginable. When I flipped it over to write on it I froze. I picked the only card that had already been written on. What it said, made me a believer.
When I turned it over, it read, "To Steve- With all my love for a Merry Christmas, Les". I freaked!
I don't like to read into things, but to find this 1 in 100’s of cards on Christmas Day, seems more than coincidental.
It was not uncommon for Leslie to “forget” or add someone to her ever growing list. My guess, is one of the gifts she had for me went to someone else in a crisis moment. All it needed was a new card. I turned out to get the best gift of all………the tag.
I just couldn't keep this to myself. I'm not crazy, this really happened! Have a Very Merry Christmas 🎁
May this special Xmas and Hanukkah be only the first of many happy holidays to come.
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