A Gift

For the most part I have been able to compartmentalize summer and the upcoming fall.  Well, really I have just been denying any existence that fall is approaching.  Because with it comes (in my mind) pretty stressful things: another unknown school year, Callie's first year of MIDDLE SCHOOL, and just the idea of being out of the pretty controlled environment we have built for ourselves over the past 20 months.  Of course now, with the COVID cases increasing, the idea of having three of us in three different schools is enough to make me want to wrap our house in Bubble Wrap and just stay put forever.  

So my sleepless nights have increased this past week and today, with all the news of the world and everything else, my anxiety kicked up a notch.  I am planning to use this last week of my summer (the girls still have another few weeks) to do fun things and I am going to work hard to be present for that.  

Anyway.  All this to say I was stress cleaning our desk drawers today.  They have been filled with junk and random things that we haven't looked at for years.

But today, on the day of my internal panic button getting pushed big time, I found a card from my dad.

It was a Christmas card, likely from 2013 or 2014. He must have had my name that year, and the card explained the gifts that he got me.  

I had a good cry.  I shared it with my mom and sisters.  And now I'm just grateful for this special gift sent at the exact right time.