No, this post isn’t a substitute for a thank you note to a few fantastic gift-givers in my life.
It’s just an extra, extra shoutout of gratitude. I don’t know how I got so very lucky, but I have dear ones around me who seem to crawl in and know exactly what makes me smile.
Holiday time is tricky for me because it’s also the time of year when I acknowledge my birthday and the fifty-three years I spent celebrating…sort of…with my mom, Sue. It’s a story I tell in “Surviving Sue”…about the lie she clung to for years about our “coincidental” birthdays.
But this year? I was overwhelmed by lovely texts and email and calls…and a few birthday and holiday gifts that made me smile and then tear up. Just a tad. Loving and being loved. What else is there?
Let me share…little anecdotes from the slideshow above.
- Pic 1: I love that our dear daughter, Delaney, knows her mama’s taste…so well. Did someone say cape? I love a good cape and I was delighted with this scrumptious, all wool wrap. In my favorite color combo…black with…almost anything (LOL) but in this case, Delaney nailed it. Black and beige? Matching the skirt I happened to be wearing that day? Magic!
- Pic 2: My dear friend Kathleen knows my love of small birds. For more years than I can count, she’s gifted me with little lovelies and they keep me company in my office. Sometimes they get to travel (migrate?) to other parts of the house, but the truth is…I enjoy keeping them close. This year my new friends came with a buddy. A birdie on a generous mug…one that’s been my companion with my morning coffee, moving around the house with me as I get each day in gear.
- Pics 3 and 4: Linda, Linda, Linda. I had no knowledge of ‘tea forte’ until Linda gifted me with a box of the most delicious tea EVER – including the most magnificent teacup…with its own lid! I mean…no more will I drink cold tea at my desk when it’s hot tea I desire. And the color? Linda couldn’t have known that one of my favorite kitchen treasures is a tiny pitcher that once belong to my mother-in-law, Maxine. The color — a beautiful butter yellow? An exact match…and I love it. Cheers!
- Pics 5 and 6: Wynne Leon…for the win! Do you know about “Friendsheep” Dryer Balls? Life changers, I tell you. Not only do they work hard in the dryer…reducing drying time by at least 1/2…they are the cutest darn things EVER. I’ve had a hard time leaving them in the dryer once they’ve done their work, so I pull them out and let them breathe, hang out with me in the kitchen, laundry room. I’m thinking each one needs a name, but I haven’t come up with anything zingy yet. Ideas?
- Pics 7 and 8: My talented friend Carolynn is the original renaissance woman. There isn’t much she can’t do and do well and she embodies all the attributes of ‘lifelong learner’. Her latest triumphs? She designs and makes custom purses…small accessories. For fun! Like it’s nothing. Over breakfast a few weeks ago she showed me one of her latest “Carolynn Original” designs and I was gobsmacked. And then…she said she’d make one for me. Before I knew it, I was picking out a style, selecting the materials…and poof! Carolynn gifted me with the most luscious bag I own. The pics don’t lie. Functional. Gorgeous…and although I didn’t get a pic of the interior, it’s leopard. Rawr.
- Pic 9: Wynne for the Win – Part II. I love our friendship. Never in a zillion years would I have picked up the book, “A Walk in the Park” – all about an incredible adventure in the Grand Canyon. Wynne knows me…and knows I have mad regard for her climbing skills, but me? Pushing the limits in the great outdoors is limited to taking another lap around the botanic garden. I’m an indoor cat. Mostly. But this book? Wow. Inspiring. Uplifting! You’ll be hearing more about it from us. One of the best things I’ve read in a really long time. But I’ll shush up for now…
Thanks for coming along. All of this good fortune reminds me of the power of paying attention to one another. It begins by leaning in with love…a knowingness that matters.
Vicki 💝
Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Parents are People, Too – Victoria Ponders
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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