Serendipities

About a week ago I received an email from a minister at our church asking me to contact him. We played phone, Facebook and email tag for almost a week before we connected. He said that there was a group of men who wanted a service project and was I willing to let them paint my house for me? Well, in a word: YES. There are so many projects that never made the short, long or any list at our home during D's illness, and the members of our church have been so faithful to step up and help before we even asked.

I told this minister that D had told me I needed to get the house painted after he was gone in case I decided to sell it. The minister's email reply was,"Don’t start crying, but D actually brought up this idea, he was always thinking about you. It is a blessing to me to honor his request."

That "don't start crying" part? Too late. I was touched on so many levels: that D thought to take care of this, that our minister was following up on it and that these men feel it is a "blessing" to help me. In their "spare" time. They would also take care of that tree that fell in my back yard last week.

Later that night two former teaching colleagues took me out to eat. In the course of our conversations, one friend told me that she was  a sponsor for a trip the high school choir would be taking to New York in the spring, and that I should think about being a sponsor as well. Several of the teenagers  signed up for this trip were former students of mine during their elementary years. A quick call to the choir director, and I was on my way to New York City in April. A city that has been a desire of my heart.

This weekend? Full of even more such unexpected blessings. Teacher Happy Hour Friday night, and even though I only had water with lemon? I was still pretty happy. A trip to Wimberly Trade Days with my sister on Saturday, followed by a cookout  hosted by my brother-in-law. Brunch with a special friend today before a showing of "Gone With the Wind" at a vintage downtown theater. Tomorrow? An invitation by Young Son and his girlfriend to a meal of homemade seafood gumbo. Score!

I feel surrounded by the love of my friends and family. I've decided my answer of choice to the question, "What can I do for you?" is "Take me out to the ballgame...or movie, or dinner, or lunch or...." I know how busy everyone is these days.

 But the gift of companionship? It's free. But priceless.