Moments Like These: The Perfect Tie. The Perfect Day.

It had been so long since Stevie and I had spent the day together. Busy schedules between us didn’t allow it. However, on Friday, the day before her wedding, we were able to do just that…spend the day together as we had some last minute details to wrap up.

Our morning began with Mass. It was there that I prayed with all my might to be able to make it through the day with few tears. The week prior had caught me off guard so often, and I had found myself wiping my eyes frequently.

After Mass, we stopped at Wegman’s Café for breakfast. How great to appreciate breakfast with someone that enjoys eating as much as I do.

Time to shop…

Arriving at the mall a little too early, before some of the stores had opened, we decided to hang out at Borders for some book browsing. Oh, how we both love books! After several great purchases and a shared snickerdoodle, we moved on to Macy’s in search of ties. We needed to find two ties that were of a certain blue.

No luck. The ties there were just not the right color. We did, however, find some great necklaces and earrings for the bridesmaid and maid of honor. Check that off the list.

We moved on from store to store in search of the perfectly hued ties. Still, no luck in finding the ties, but we were having a ball.

After finding the gifts for all the wedding attendants, we ran several other errands and quickly were able to check off most of the ”to-dos” on the list.

Time for lunch…

Did I mention how much Stevie and I love to eat? To the Brewer’s Café for a sandwich and a cold drink. Great!

Finishing up, it was time to get serious. We had been to every store in the mall focusing on finding those ties. Every store except one. On our way out, we walked through Penney’s to the men’s department.

Low and behold….there it was. The perfect tie, the perfect color, the perfect print. Problem was, there was only one and we needed two. We began to search every rack in the hopes that maybe one had been misplaced. No such luck. There was only one.

“Let’s check over in the boy’s department. Maybe they have one there.” …I sensed Stevie’s doubt when I made the suggestion. But, she was kind enough to appease me and head in that direction.

Would you believe….there, lying on the counter, all by itself, was the match to our perfect tie!!! We looked at each other with smiles that were, no doubt, priceless. (I think St. Anthony had something to do with that moment.)

Time to head home….

When we walked in the door, the phone rang. It was the post office calling to tell me that a package had come for me and would I like to pick it up? You bet I would!!!

I hopped in the car and sped off.

I couldn’t believe the treasure that awaited me.

When I saw the return address, this beautiful St. Anne Chaplet was so quickly unwrapped. I am sure the postmaster had never seen anyone behave that way in the post office before.

Inevitably, a tear had come. The first one. My dear friend, Elizabeth, had thought of me that day. While so many preparations were being made, she was thinking of me and making me the most beautiful chaplet bracelet I had ever seen. A tear. Then several more. How very blessed I felt at that moment.

I began to pray the chaplet immediately…and then again that evening. I carried that chaplet with me through the wedding and have had it with me each day since.

God’s grace is beautiful. A day that I imagined to be so hard to endure, the last day that my beautiful daughter would spend at home with our family, did not turn out to be sad at all. It was one of the most joyous days in my memory.

God is so close.