Loving Life...the best present ever!

                                       She loved life...
                       and Life Loved Her 
                       Right Back!

Have you ever looked at a piece of clothing and knew it was meant for you, yet you talked yourself right out of it because...
     After all, you already have lots of t-shirts.
     You could save that money for a rainy day.
     You tell yourself you are being extravagant.

So you didn't spoil yourself and later regretted the choice
you made?

I can still see the t-shirt in my mind's eye. I was at Nordstrom, which is not a place I usually shop. Yet my Granddaughter who was adopted from Ethiopia and was in high school, was on Nordies High School Board and had seen a gift she fell in love with. I had asked what she wanted for her birthday. This oh so unselfish young lady, who grew up in such poverty and lived in an orphanage until my daughter adopted her, actually said in a small voice...

      "Nana, you asked what I'd like for my birthday. I saw the 
       most beautiful bracelet with tiny sparkling stones that
       look like the stars in the sky. It reminds me of the stars 
       in Ethiopia. But I feel so selfish asking for that so please
       don't worry about getting it for me."

While some teens might use that as manipulation, my sweet granddaughter was just feeling guilty about asking for something for herself.

As soon as I hung up from talking with her, I headed to Nordstrom as I knew where the cherished bracelet might be located. In the Brass Plum, the then teen area of the store.

All the way there my heart was pounding. 

Earlier stories about Sihin raced through my mind. 

*When they came to bring her home to Spokane, and they had new clothes for her to wear, Sihin gave all her new clothes away to needy children in the orphanage. 
*When they were in Ethiopia meeting her for the first time in person, and got her an ice cream cone, she saw a young man staring longingly at it and she walked over and gave him her ice cream.

Yes, the word unselfish describes my precious granddaughter, my Glory Sihin.

So, back to the story of the bracelet and t-shirt. Once out of my car, I walked briskly to the Brass Plum. That's when the t-shirt caught my eye. It was on a mannequin and you couldn't miss it. It was a beautiful pink, almost like the tint of pink in a sunset. The letters were in a beautiful script and it said...
                                 
                                "She loved life
                                  and life loved her right back."

I imagined wearing that t-shirt and just the thought of that
made me smile. But I realized I was on a mission so I found the sparkly bracelet and purchased it for my sweet granddaughter.
The sales girl knew our Sihin and said over and over again how wonderful and unselfish she was. I couldn't stop smiling as I knew those words were true.

Yet, uncharacteristically for me,  I couldn't stop thinking about the t-shirt. Once home, I phoned the teen department. The young lady who answered was so apologetic. Yes, it had been sold. Yes, there was only one and it was discontinued. I felt disappointed
but I also knew that I had seen that shirt for a reason. 

The message was a reminder that life is so precious. It's easy to take it for granted. 

Perhaps later I'll follow my dream. 
Perhaps later I'll tell those folks I love them. 

When you love life you live it  full speed ahead. You know in your deepest heart of hearts that life is a gift. It should be treasured! 

When you really love life, you see all of life as a gift, even the things that don't seem gift wrapped.

While I didn't have the shirt, the message would always stay in my heart. 

When I got together with my darling granddaughter the next week I couldn't wait to see her eyes when she saw the bracelet. I knew she would be thrilled. I met her downtown at the Nordstrom Cafe' after her work time at Nordies as a board member was over. 

When lunch was finished I pulled the small box from my purse, a grin on my face from ear- to- ear. Tears started flowing as I told her how much her Boppa (Bert) and I loved her, how our family had become complete when she joined us. How we knew she also missed Ethiopia, her home country. Maybe when she wore this bracelet, it would remind her of those stars she loved.

Tears streamed down her face and mine. She couldn't stop hugging me.

And then she got a grin on her face, reached in her purse and brought out a wrapped present. I said "What is this sweetie? You shouldn't have." Then it was her turn to tell me what Boppa and I meant to her. How she loved us so, so much and knew we loved her and believed in her. She said, "When I saw this Nana, I thought of you. You, Nana, love life so much and you spread that love to all of your grandkids. We cherish life more because you have taught us to do that."

As I opened the present, there was the t-shirt. My mouth fell open. "How did you?"...was all I could get out. She told me the sales girl, one of her friends on the board, had seen how I looked at the message on the shirt, put my hand on my heart because the message touched me so, and since there was only one left, she took it off the mannequin, just in case Sihin wanted to get it for me.

And that is the end of the story...except it isn't. The best present ever wasn't the t-shirt, it was the love my granddaughter showed me by getting it for me. Every time I wear it, I have tears as it reminds me of how wonderful and unselfish she is. It was her birthday we were celebrating, but she was more excited about getting me a gift than receiving one herself.

What a blessing she is. She is the best gift ever and I am so, so grateful she is here. God really blessed us by making her a part of our family. Yes, our family is now complete!

God Bless!
Love, Linda