All of a sudden I am receiving gifts from strangers and complements. This is such a surprise and really comforting. I see them as a kind of synchronicity.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a funeral of a woman who was 102 when she died. I had known her all of my life. For decades she worked at my grandparents' home. I also knew many of her children and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
I was the only family member at the funeral. So few are still living here in the same city. It was a very small funeral. Mary Nell had been comatose in a nursing home for 10 or 12 years.
After the funeral, I got back in my car and waited to fall in line behind the hearse in the funeral procession to the cemetary. As I waited, on the other side of the narrow street, one of the funeral directors approached me to ask if I was going to the burial. I said I was and he followed by offering complements and saying that I looked so pretty.
As a 51 year old widow who has greying hair and has gained 10+ lbs. this past year and had only 2 dates in the 8 years since my husband died - his words were a gift from beyond. Really transforming me, encouraging me to make an effort to dress nicely and put on makeup and make an effort to style my hair. It was a gift far beyond what he will ever know.
Last week, after another funeral, I stopped my a wonderful Greek deli to buy food for a trip to the beach over the Labor Day weekend. While I was collecting my favorite items I noticed two gay men walk in. The sort of looked like Mutt and Jeff - one very short and bald and the other tall, built, with a muscle tight black t-shirt and dyed black hair, tatooed to the hilt.
We both approached the cash register at the same time. The short one said in a teasing way, "You should let those of us who work go first. We don't have much time." I paried back, "Who says I am not working?" And he laughed. The proprietor was slicing some turkey and cheese for me and I looked into my purse to grab my check book - and, wouldn't you know it. I had brought in a cooler and a heavy canvas grocery bag but no purse.
"Oh - you. You get your way, I have left my purse in the car." And to the proprietor, "Go ahead and check them out first, I'll be right back." I fetched my purse and returned to the scene where the short man was still unloading a rather full basket. I gave him grief about having so much asked when he was serving his lunch and where? After he left, the proprietor stood there ringing up nothing. "Have you already rung me up?" I asked. "Don't be angry!" he said. Who could be angry at this, the nicest of men. "Why?" He waited and looked out of the door and then said cautiously, "I told him you would be angry but that man just paid for your items - all of them."
I'm still amazed, still appreciative and wondering how in the world my fortunes changed so dramatically. It keeps going on smaller scales. The next day on the way to the beach we stopped at an ice cream/sandwich shop just before they closed. I had packed a small picnic but we wanted something to drink and some ice cream. The young man gave me 3 cups for drinks and said, "Don't worry about it. It's on me." What a gift!
I am wondering if things are coming in line for me. It seems as if it is.
