Sometimes it just doesn't matter...
- that your car just got broken into.
- that talking makes your throat feel like someone is sanding it with salt.
- that there was just a blizzard.
- that you just spent several hours dealing with how to get the van keys out of the running van when you don't have a second set on you.*
- that you only got about 4 hours sleep.
- that it's going to be another late night.
- that you have to play car games to stay awake for the drive home.**
- that you don't even like hockey all that much.
- that you didn't have the chance to wrap the birthday present.
Because, sometimes, just sometimes, God gives you a gift that far outweighs any of that and you get to see the look on an 11 year-old's face when he opens up a box with a Florida Panthers jersey in it.*** And you get to find a haven for 3 hours in a stranger's home eating pizza and watching a hockey game**** with your family.
* Yeah, believe me, based on what had fairly recently taken place in our lives (see post below), at this point we DID feel like the stars were aligned against us.
** Does anyone know? IS there a Manitoba town that starts with the letter "J"?
*** I got teary-eyed just typing that - remembering the look. Part of me wishes I'd taken a photo but another part of me is quite happy with the photo that's in my brain.*****
**** In FRENCH nonetheless. But, seriously, even *I* can admit it was a good game. Scoreless. Overtime. A shoot-out.
***** AND the look on a 39 year-old's face that just gave said jersey to his nephew.
- that talking makes your throat feel like someone is sanding it with salt.
- that there was just a blizzard.
- that you just spent several hours dealing with how to get the van keys out of the running van when you don't have a second set on you.*
- that you only got about 4 hours sleep.
- that it's going to be another late night.
- that you have to play car games to stay awake for the drive home.**
- that you don't even like hockey all that much.
- that you didn't have the chance to wrap the birthday present.
Because, sometimes, just sometimes, God gives you a gift that far outweighs any of that and you get to see the look on an 11 year-old's face when he opens up a box with a Florida Panthers jersey in it.*** And you get to find a haven for 3 hours in a stranger's home eating pizza and watching a hockey game**** with your family.
* Yeah, believe me, based on what had fairly recently taken place in our lives (see post below), at this point we DID feel like the stars were aligned against us.
** Does anyone know? IS there a Manitoba town that starts with the letter "J"?
*** I got teary-eyed just typing that - remembering the look. Part of me wishes I'd taken a photo but another part of me is quite happy with the photo that's in my brain.*****
**** In FRENCH nonetheless. But, seriously, even *I* can admit it was a good game. Scoreless. Overtime. A shoot-out.
***** AND the look on a 39 year-old's face that just gave said jersey to his nephew.
posted by ccap at 10:40 AM
5 Comments:
Aw. I'm getting a little choked up. Makes me wish I'd been there.
smiling here too just thinking about the looks on all their faces with that great gift!
Thanks again for making that memory with us! He's still shining!
**Justice, Manitoba. Never been there, but remember seeing the signs along the road when we'd haul pigs to Brandon.
Caleb walked into the house with a smile today and his first words were "I didn't get my jersey dirty" and "I haven't seen the back of it all day" and then he took it off, looked at the back of it and put it back on again!
Last night before bed he said the best part of his day was spending time with the people at the party!
Thanks guys for giving my 11 year old what he needed yesterday.
Trust Dwight to know the answer to your town name dilemna!
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