34

Yesterday was my 34th birthday - it was a beautiful day spent with family and friends. 

I want to preface this entry by noting that my mom believed in the art of snail mail. It was common for her to send a Prayer Card to a friend who recently lost a family member. She often wrote to the bride and groom about their beautiful wedding and to thank them for including her in their special day. My favorite were the letters she’d send me when I was away at school. I would receive numerous a month and each one had the same notion which was a reminder of how proud she is of me - she would even include a perfume testing strip out of a recently read magazine for me to enjoy.

I checked my mailbox today and smiled when I saw a letter addressed to me. There was no return address and I didnt recognize the handwriting but assumed it was a birthday card. It wasn’t but it was better. 

The letter was from an old friend of my mom’s, Eileen M., and addressed to both me and my sister, Megan. What she wrote was so spot on, “..Nancy was always cheerful and upbeat, I still hear her voice “Hi, Ei!”. Always one to be so kind...”.

I haven’t seen Eileen in years and I’m sure she had to ask around for my address and track me down. So much effort for a small gesture which made the biggest impact. Eileen signed her note with the reminder of how proud our mom is of the two of us. 

This snail mail, this small gesture, is just what I wanted to receive today. What a beautiful birthday gift. Thank you, Eileen.