A Thoughtful Gesture Is Not Soon Forgotten

A coincidence happened to me last night that I'm sure wasn't really a coincidence.  God tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that he is always here, and he did this through the kindness of a friend.  My father is scheduled to have open heart surgery tomorrow morning to replace a leaking valve.  Needless to say, our family has had this on our minds (and in our prayers) all through the holidays.

Last night, my son and husband were busy in the basement when our phone rang. I started not to answer because I was tired and didn't really feel like talking.  But I did answer, and it was my friend who lives in Arizona that I haven't talked with in about six months.  Her husband and son had gone skiing, and since she doesn't ski, she was home by herself and feeling a bit lonely.

This friendship goes way back; she was a bridesmaid in our wedding, and we worked together for two years at what I consider to be my first real, "grownup" job.  There were actually three of us "girls" from work who hung out together, and we became very close friends.  The other friend still lives nearby, but after Alisa married, she and her husband moved around a lot.  They lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and now, Arizona again.

I'm sorry to say we lost touch for several years, except for the occasional Christmas card or phone call.  But then, she called me this past summer, and we reconnected.  Last night, we talked for over an hour, about lots of things, and I was really glad she called.  As we were winding up our conversation, I told her that my dad is having open heart surgery tomorrow.  She was very kind and asked if she could call me Thursday night to see how he's doing.  It meant a lot to me.

This morning, I was having a late cup of coffee, and I heard a car in our driveway.  I looked out the window and saw someone heading towards our front door with a flower arrangement.  I put the dog up, and told my husband they probably had the wrong house number; we never get flowers.  It wasn't the wrong address; the flowers were for me.  I really couldn't imagine who they were from, and when I opened the card, I discovered they were from my friend in Arizona.  We just talked last night, and she sent these the very next day...

My heart is filled with gratitude.

Thank You, Alisa!

 I hope you are all still enjoying this Christmas season.  Thanks for stopping by.

Denise