noticing 12.3.24
Thanksgiving morning was lovely. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t fancy. In fact, far from it. I rolled out of bed and grabbed my old robe and made my morning cup of coffee in the usual way. Dan stepped outside to his turkey, that had been rolling around in the smoker since midnight. As the door opened a gush of chilly air, and a rush of warm mesquite scented air filled the room. It was Thanksgiving. It felt and smelled the part.
I curled up on the sofa with my warm mug in hand and cozy blanket on my lap and turned on the Macy’s Day Parade. It’s one of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving. Today, my two youngest kids woke up and curled up beside me, like little squirrels in their burrowed tree. I love these moments, and it is not lost on me that the times that they do this are special, fleeting moments in time that I wish I could bottle up into one of those adorable snowglobes where you can just give it a shake and the magic of the moment returns.
As we watched the parade, I remembered the year I was in a Thanksgiving Day parade. It was not as big as the Macy’s, but it was big and a big moment for me. I was a freshman in high school and was given the opportunity to dance in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade with the Universal Cheerleaders Association. It was a big highlight in my teenage cheerleading career and I have fond memories of that experience. As I told the tale, I realized I could show them pictures. Back in the 90’s while we didn’t have smart phone photos for everything, we did have the gift knowing how to curate the perfect little homemade scrapbook. This one was complete with perhaps 5 photos from the parade and experience but a gaggle of napkins, drink umbrellas, and pieces of confetti straight from the parade.
As I flipped through I noticed one handwritten greeting card. It was Ellen, one of my sister’s best friends. They were four years older than me. I loved hanging around (following), my sister and her friends. Ellen was over often and not just my sister’s friend, but also a family friend. She mentored me, just as my sister had and she had sent me an uplifting note with words of encouragement and praise. Tears welled as I thought of Ellen. She had past away a couple years ago. I hadn’t thought of her in some time, but it was nice to have this reminder of her presence in my life. I acknowledged her memory and smiled, and then quietly put the memory book away. It served it’s purpose for the day.
The rest of Thanksgiving was lovely and filled with warm moments with family. The weekend continued filled with typical moments, The Buckeye Game and decorating for Christmas.
But yesterday, 4 days after Thanksgiving, Facebook notifications told me that it was Ellen’s birthday. I smiled. Happy Birthday Ellen I whispered in quiet prayer and direction to wherever she may be. Twice in less than a week, Ellen came to my attention.
You may call this coincidence. Perhaps it is. We will not know, at least in this lifetime.
But what if it was something different?
Could these little noticed in my mind, my heart even, been God winks, or dare I even say her spirit whispering greetings to me? I am not sure. I do know I ponder thoughts like this often, and there is no doubt everyone has different ideas or beliefs about happenings like this and the after life. But I couldn’t shake the question in my mind, is this a coincidence or is Ellen saying hello?
Today, my girls and I started dancing to Kasey Musgraves in the kitchen. It’s our favorite place to dance. As we twirled around, we laughed and immediately my mind told me to dance more, laugh well and simply have fun. I glanced at Alexa and noticed the date, Dec. 3. Oh, Ellen. Happy Birthday! At that moment, I knew it was indeed Ellen, saying hello and reminding me to simply have fun.
