Friday, April 26, 2013

touching the holy and sending it off again...

a few weeks ago i was down at my elderly neighbor's giving her a hair cut.
(yeah, imagine that...no skills here....but we just kinda overlook that)

afterwards we sat and talked and she said two things that were so typical
'old person' that i actually looked away and squirmed in my chair a bit.
it's the stuff that there's no point trying to gently argue because it's the
got that old person crankiness to it. i just kinda change the subject and move on.

one of the things - the non-offensive one - was about god not intending us to
have computers and how they were bad.

she knows we all run businesses centered around computers over here,
but we didn't go there. i think i went to the weather instead.

last nite i thought of that moment and i thought of computers and i thought of
the many friends i know from the computer who i've never met in person or
who i finally get a chance to meet here and there, but the communication stays
mostly computer related.

and i thought of the love shared. it's mind boggling.
and i thought how very much the holy is mixed in there.

yesterday the holy arrived without any warning in a box in my mail.

two of those on-line friends surprised me yesterday with a present for sue.
you guys know sue by now, and the story, and the stars......

well......they joined forces and made the most incredible gift. handmade from
both of them. one did her stuff and then sent it to the other to do her stuff and
then they sent the finished product to me to send to sue!

pretty sure sue doesn't read the blog, but just in case i won't say what it was
right here as i hope she'll get it later today!

tucked in there was also a gift one of them made for my son to thank him for
something he had done for her.

talk about one incredible circle of caring and support and love.
i'm not too big on the idea of god intending anything - but if he/she intended
something - i'd have to say it was what i opened yesterday -
love and joy and caring and sharing and compassion and generosity and giving
and thoughtfulness and talent and gentleness and and and and and.....

i think if you've ever experienced budgeting big time, you notice things like
how much it cost them to ship it up. and you understand that just the postage alone
was a gift. then when i threw in the challenges of finances and serious health issues,
and time, and supplies.....and looked at the gift that i got to see before passing  along -
i was stunned.

and yes, i really did understand i was holding the holy.

the love we offer is holy.
and to get to watch this up close is such a gift.

i don't know if i'll tell my elderly neighbor this story or not.
i'm not sure she can be open to the beauty.
if it seems like it, i may try.

but as i think of her i pray that i can stay open to the beauty all around me
no matter what my age. i so pray for that.

and to these two friends of mine - i bow to your hearts. humbly and deeply, i bow to you both.

6 comments:

Diane in AR said...

It all is holy, everything you wrote - friendships, kindnesses, love - even you being part of the semi-cranky-anti-computer-conversation made you more aware, more open to the magic, mystical holiness in your life. . .thank you for sharing with us. . .always

Merry ME said...

I love the way love happens!

terri st. cloud said...

:)

Sue Scott said...

The quilt is so beautiful. And star-tastic! And love filled. I had a friend here visiting when the UPS man walked up onto my Mama's porch, where we were sitting and crying and talking. He handed the box to me and seeing that I had eyes stained with tears, he said "it's a gorgeous day today----ENJOY IT, ladies!" It made my friend Catherine and me chuckle. He didn't know we'd been crying tears of joy and relief and hope and friendship. The good kinda tears. We were already following his directive, he just didn't know it. I gave him a warm "thanks so much! You too!". Catherine and I giggled and then my friend helped me tear open the box. We dIdn't bother to get up and go get scissors----nahhhhh----just kept tearing at it with our bare hands together. Opened the box and shared the note from Terri with my friend, to which she replied "how cool! The Internet is such an awesome connector of people---and hearts!" Then we saw the quilt. And my friend held it up for me, so I could see the whole thing in all it's star-shining, love-filled glory. And I just started to sob. Sobs and uncontrolled tears. My heart runneth over once again. To think of the time and energy and forethought and love investment these 2 quilters and my TerBear had made. Well, I'm not sure I'm worthy, but I certainly am so heart-fillingly grateful. I will have it proudly flung over the back of the couch (and on me!) in my den. My den is painted blue (Behr's "enchantment"). And my den is decorated with stars!!! Stars on the doorknobs, stars hanging from the ceiling fan pulley-jiggys, star coasters on the coffee table, stars on the mirror that Terri gave me, star frames, star art (2 of Terri's originals from when we first met 10 years ago hang in that room), stars hanging from everything I could find in there to hang a star on! So, "May-May" and "Merry ME".....a heart full of love and gratitude to you. I would like to have your addresses, if you're open to Terri giving them to me. A gift as incredible as the Star Quilt deserves proper thank you notes (with confetti and cartoons and my usual assortment of "inserts"). Love to you....Sue

terri st. cloud said...

ha! how great is this?!! so so so smiling!! just so you know...this gift was ENTIRELY may may's and merry me's gift! i was just the mailman. dancing around with everyone!!

Merry ME said...

Grinning from ear to ear!