Dear friends, family, and frenemies,
A basket. A fan. A bag of bubblegum. What do these things have in common? Hmmm
My husband and I have often sat behind a lady at church. I don't know her, but I've seen her around for years. She could probably say the same thing about me. Last year, when the collection basket was passed to me, I wasn't paying attention. (Long time readers know that that is a recurring theme in tiztalk). When I grabbed the basket to pass it, I accidentally hit her in the head with it. I apologized profusely, and we both had a hard time keeping from giggling. After Mass, we laughed heartily, and now we've made a connection. Now when we meet, we smile and greet each other warmly I wonder if I've happened upon a secret for developing fellowship...
My father and my uncle owned and operated a grocery store in Paris, IL, for nearly fifty years. When my dad died in 1995, many people came to pay their respects and tell their stories. One lady's story has stuck with me. When she was a young mother of several children, her husband was a truck driver. He wasn't due home for another week and she was out of food. She didn't know my dad, but she asked if she could get just what she needed for the week, and she would pay for the groceries when her husband returned. My dad agreed. She was careful to only get necessities to tide over the family. As she was walking out the door, my dad threw in a big bag of bubble gum. She said that she knew at that moment what kind of man he was, and she had never shopped anywhere else.
Last August my sister and I, her 14-year-old grandson, my daughter-in-law, and my nine-year old grandson went to Washington, DC. We weren't sure how the boys would get along due to the age gap and the fact that they didn't really know each other. Remembering how hot D.C. is in August, I had purchased battery-powered fans that you hang around your neck. You can also fill them with water to spray your face. They are nifty little gadgets, and I got one for each of us. Little did I know that their value would far exceed their ability to keep us cool. The boys got a huge kick out of spraying each other as well as the adults. The 14-year-old is an agile athlete who could spray the mini-fan behind his back, under his leg, under his arm, you name it. Of course, these sprays came when you least expected them. He would pretend to look over his grandma's shoulder as she was looking at the map and then surprise her with a spray. The nine-year-old was very sneaky and liked to administer full face spray attacks. We grown-ups were also able to spray the boys when they were sleeping through a museum presentation or refusing to wake up. We ladies also enjoyed spraying each other. These surprise attacks kept us laughing for four days. Of the many photos taken on our trip. the one voted the best is the one above. It shows my great-nephew spraying his grandma as she throws her head back in a laugh. While we saw many interesting attractions in Washington, D.C., the fun we had with those spray fans is something we will always remember.
It's hard to predict when item or action will create a connection among people. It can be a mishap, a small act of kindness, or a random purchase. We need to cherish these connections however they occur.
Praying, saying, and spraying,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Liz/Elizabeth/Tizmom/Mom/Grandma
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