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Last Five Entries
Veteran's Day and an Etiquette Question
2004-11-07 - 10:27 a.m.
Divine Providence???
Yesterday was wonderful! I spent the day in the company of someone I already consider to be a good friend. We went to the Christmas Classic craft show. It was okay, but there wasn't a "Knock your socks off" thing this year. Afterwards, we stopped at a little cafe and talked for a while, then went home "to the boys" for a great dinner (with cheesecake) and some great conversation.
It's nice to hear stories from a different perspective. Even though we didn't know many of the principles in their stories (other than the two of them), it was very cool to hear what shaped their experiences and how things are in "far off lands".
I had a great time! I hope we have the chance to get together again sometime soon!
We had such a great time that I really hated to leave; unfortuantely, I had to, I had to go into work today. It's overtime, so that means a little more money, but I'd really rather be a slug and snuggled in at home with my hubby and the puppy and enjoy a very quiet day. I'm such a homebody sometimes it's pretty disgusting. They money I'm making will come in handy with all the stuff I have in mind for Christmas, but still.. I'd really rather be at home working on projects and etc...
This is what it's like to be an adult, and while it sucks, it helps keep the lights on and us all fed, so I guess that's worth something.
One of the coolest things that happened was that I ran into a family friend at the Craft Show.
When I was 14, my family moved from Suffolk, VA to Chesterfield (about an hour and a half away). From the time I was 5 until I was about 10, there was a family across the street. They were a married couple with two boys. At that point, one was three and one was 6 weeks. As the youngest of 4 kids, those two boys became my little brothers. We did everything and went everywhere together.
The father was military and he was transferred to Albuquerque, NM so off they went. I think it was hardest for my mom, the mother was like her third daughter. They were her surrogate parents while her husband was out to sea and the grandma to her boys. Christmases were full of good memories. They came back from Albuquerque and settled in Va. Beach. We had moved to Richmond by then, and although we kept in touch with occasional visits and etc., well.. people drift apart.
One night, when my mother was out in Mississippi trying to help out my sister's newest addition to the family, we got a phone call. Their oldest son had committed suicide that night.. on their anniversary. My mother flew back and we went to the funeral and to be with them.
At that point, they had decided to go move back to their family in Minnesota, and bury their oldest son there I thought that was what they had done until several years later when their younger son appeared at our doorstep with a dog on a leash. It turned out they hadn't moved at all; they were still in Va. Beach! Wow...
So.. fast forward to yesterday... I'm walking with a good friend of mine through the Craft show and we're walking in the pass through from one building to another and there she is...
I'm shocked and all I can say is "Joan?" She stopped and looked at me and said "yes"? And all I could think of was "I'm Gina". Her eyes got HUGE and she practically jumped up and hugged me. It felt so good to see her! I just can't describe it. It was like seeing another sister.
She was going on and on about how much she missed my mom and how she really didn't want to go to the craft show yesterday, but her husband talked her into it. He had to talk pretty hard, because she just wasn't "in the mood" but when she saw me, she said she knew it was why she was supposed to be there. Wow... I came very close to suggesting something else (there really isn't much to do in Richmond that doesn't involve NASCAR), and now I'm really glad I didn't. Coincidence, or perhaps some sort of divine providence?
It turns out that she and her husband now live in Dinwiddie, not far from me and her son lives in Richmond and goes to school in the MCV pharmacy program. How's that for incredible!
We exchanged email addresses and phone number and she suggested a "family reunion". I told her I'd contact my sister and I have... I'm going to give Becky a call when my day of OT is finished (whenever I decide that to be) and let her know what all I've found out.
The other part o the story is, after the Craft Show, my friend and I went to the local Ukrops and spent some time chatting and getting to know each other in the cafe, and who should walk through but Joan and Larry! They were killing time waiting to meet some friends for dinner... it was as if someone was making a real effort for us to connect.
It was a GREAT day; I got to spend some time with two incredible people, and I found some of my family all in one fell swoop!
Wow...
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