My Auntie Jo gave me a beautiful pair of gloves yesterday. They are elegant, with embroidery on the top, and I immediately did what I usually do -- I put them away for safekeeping.
'I'll wear these to something special!' I told myself.
I have a date to go with my niece to see 'Peter Pan' in December. I decided I would wear those gloves when I go out with my beautiful 20-year-old niece before she heads out to Spain to study for a semester in Madrid. That will certainly be an occasion worthy of these gloves, I thought.
'I might need a hat to wear with these gloves,' I got to thinking.
Winter hats, to be brutally honest, are usually one of two things. They are fashionable, or they are warm. I know there are a few that straddle the gap between the two, but it is rare. I went browsing online, looking for a hat that might be worthy of these gloves. I thought how nice it is to have things to look forward to.
My husband, Peter, and I will be returning to Mexico for a few weeks before Christmas, and I am looking forward to that. I look forward to seeing our friends down there and finding out what changes there have been at the hotel. Peter already has his suitcase out and is steadily popping things into it. I know he enjoys this. He enjoys the process of planning his trip, one item at a time. I usually wait until a day or two beforehand and stuff everything in at once.
But I have other things to look forward to as well.
Yesterday, I went to church with my Auntie Jo and my sister. My sister's husband is a newly ordained minister, and he just be- gan work at his first church. It is a late-in-life new career, and he is very good at it. His congregation was warm and welcoming, and he preached a great sermon. Afterward, my sister and my aunt and I went out, had a cup of coffee and split a couple of pastries at a Mexican mercado. My sister told us about her gardening plans. I talked about our planned trip to Mexico. My aunt told us both how much she enjoyed spending time with us.
'We have to do this again!' Auntie Jo said.
'When I'm back in December, for sure!' I answered.
When they dropped me off at home, my aunt gave me the little gift bag with the gloves inside.
'What is this?' I asked. 'It's for your birthday,' she told me, which was surprising, since my birthday was three months ago.
Time passes so quickly. We will be in Mexico soon and back before we know it. Another Christmas will come, and a new year will be here.
I thought of how quickly the months go by. Then I went to the coat closet, reached up on the shelf, pulled down those beautiful gloves my aunt had just given me, and I put them on.
There is no need to save these gloves for a special day.
Because this day -- this going to church together and having coffee and sharing pastries and plans day -- was as special as any day could be. I don't know how many more days I will spend with my sister and Auntie Jo. I hope there will be many. But I don't know. None of us do.
So I put on my fancy new gloves with my jacket and my walking shoes, and I headed out the door.
Till next time, Carrie
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