…my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray…”
I always sing this song to my girls, because even during difficult times, they can always coax a smile from me. I haven’t smiled a lot lately.
It’s been raining pretty much non-stop since Sunday, and combined with my current life circumstances, it’s put me in a gloomy mood. I’ve been trying to remain upbeat, but sometimes it’s hard to keep my chin up.
Today I drove all over creation – returning library books, getting groceries, picking up prescriptions, all the while fighting rain and wind and puddles, and trying to keep Cakes from single-handedly dismantling displays of canned goods, or helping herself to candy that we haven’t paid for, or throwing a half gallon of chocolate milk out of the cart.
When I got home, I had a pounding headache. I knew that a messy house would greet me, and the kids would want snacks, and I would have to start dinner, and I was feeling more than a little tired and discouraged. Before heading up the hill, I stopped to get the mail, and discovered a little bit of sunshine nestled in my mailbox.
My sweet, online friend Rachel mailed me some chocolate (God bless her), sweet pea hand soap from Bath and Body Works (my favorite scent! How did she know?) extra-strength hand cream for my sore, cracked fingers, Burt’s Bees lip balm (I love Burt’s Bees!), and a lovely card to let me know that she’s praying for me.
Why did Rachel send me these things? For no reason at all, except that she’s a very good, kind, generous person, and I’m blessed to call her my friend. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve her.
Acts of kindness like this always bring tears to my eyes, because I’m reminded that in this world – which certainly seems bleak these days – there are still people like Rachel, who are willing to give of their time and money just to cheer up a friend -even one they’ve never met.
So thank you Rachel. “You have been my sunshine today.”
