Hidden Gem
This past week I spent an evening with a good friend along the lakefront in Wisconsin. It was a beautiful night and we had originally wanted to dine outside which didn’t work out but none-the-less we had a delicious meal and fun conversation. At one point over dinner, my friend mentioned it was the seventh year anniversary of her Dad’s passing. It was significant since both of us were daddy’s girls.
As she began to tell me her story, tears formed in her eyes; her cousin had reached out to see how she was feeling. She immediately felt remorseful since the day had slipped her mind. To back up a bit, I’ve know this friend for many years and understand the importance the relationship with her father has meant. Each time she spoke of him since his passing, tears collected and often fell upon her cheeks. She was upset she had forgotten but I had immediately chimed in. Recently, I’d seen a difference in her; almost a lightness and more joy radiating from her. She hadn’t forgotten about her Dad but had been busy living life to the fullest, which is exactly what he would want for her.
Leaving dinner we decided to walk to a local coffee shop a few blocks away since the summer weather was perfect. Walking along the sidewalk, she noticed a painted rock tucked in the corner of the windowsill of a store front. It was from a community-wide painted rock campaign going on and we were the lucky recipients of a light blue with hand-painted flowers, someone placed for us to discover. On the backside of the rock was a note that stated to either rehide or keep. We knew we wanted to hide it in another location for someone else to enjoy.
After grabbing coffee, we continued walking and ended up on a path that stretched along the water’s edge. My friend suddenly stopped in her tracks as she discovered yet another rock hidden for her to find. She was almost stuttering and getting her words out seemed difficult. We sat along the concrete wall as she described how she started collecting heart shaped rocks when she would randomly find them upon leaving, after visiting her Dad in hospice. The rock she found was purple (her favorite color) adorned with a large silver heart. Oh my gosh, what a gift she was given. She felt her father all around and we both cried.
She decided to keep the rock and tucked it in her purse for safe keeping, though the story doesn’t end here. I received a message the next morning thanking me for a nice evening and a note that stated she had left her beautiful heart-shaped gem for someone else to find. She explained she wanted to spread the joy that it had given her and my tears flowed all over again from her touching words. My friend’s Dad made his way to her the night before and she made it possible for the same feeling to happen for another.
Life is a mystery, you never know what’s waiting for you. Stay present to the opportunities the universe provides; signs are everywhere if we open our heart and pay attention. That next morning I went back to see if someone had discovered the opportunity we left behind. The beautiful little light blue with hand-painted flowers hidden gem had made it’s way to a new owner. I hope it brought as much joy to them as it did to us.
xoxox…..Sheryl