Epiphany
On my birthday, a sweet former employer wrote on my Facebook page, "Hope the year is filled with...crazy moments that make you laugh until you cry."
Quite prescient of her - just hours later I was doubled over on a South End sidewalk, nearly unable to breathe, tears streaming down my face, as the Trafmeister Jenneral told the most hilarious steak dinner story you've ever heard in your life.
Good golly, that girl is funny.
On my birthday, a sweet former employer wrote on my Facebook page, "Hope the year is filled with...crazy moments that make you laugh until you cry."
Quite prescient of her - just hours later I was doubled over on a South End sidewalk, nearly unable to breathe, tears streaming down my face, as the Trafmeister Jenneral told the most hilarious steak dinner story you've ever heard in your life.
Good golly, that girl is funny.
But before that, earlier in the day, I was in the North End with MadDawg. We sought refuge from the cold, huddling around a back table at Caffe Vittorio (above). And as we sat there, comforted by coffee and cannoli, I heard a familiar voice.
It was Mr. Frank Sinatra, singing an unfamiliar song on the stereo.
Now, let me tell you something (and I'm not bragging - this information is vital to understanding the gravity of the situation): I own one 4-cd boxed set, one 3-cd boxed set, two 2-cd boxed sets, and seven individual cd's (plus one Christmas album) of Ol' Blue Eyes' music. I'm no stranger to the Sinatra oeuvre.
And still - still! - the song playing in Vittorio was new to me. Never before heard. An undiscovered gem.
I thought it was a pretty swell birthday present.
And then I thought: if Frank - a mere mortal who has been gone nearly fifteen years - can still surprise me with goodness, how much more so can the living God surprise me with goodness?
Gotta remember that. Gotta really remember that in 2010.
Here's to thawing cynicism and daring to walk the scary tight rope of hope in the new year.
4 comments:
Just a note to say that I am also afraid of identical twins. People think I am crazy, but at least I know there is one other person out there. :-) --Anita
Yay, Anita! I'm so glad to know I'm not alone. I was about to suggest we form a club and get matching t-shirts, but you know who wears matching t-shirts? Identical twins! :)
So, I don't know much about you, but since I've added you to my RSS feed (that's okay, right - a perfect stranger reading your musings?) I've seen a lot of emphasis on bringing closure to a year which appears to have been something of a bummer.
Those details are not important to me, but I did want to share a word with you. Actually six words. Which happen to have been sung by someone near and dear to your heart. When I hit 30, my mantra become "The Best is Yet to Come!" And I wanted to share that with you. Because even when things are really good, they will get much better. In my Christmas card letter this year, I shared how important it is to me to have hope. I even tossed out "Only Hope" by Switchfoot as an important song for me. So I hope you have hope. Even if it is a scary tight rope, the ringmaster won't let you get hurt.
I'm praying for you today, January 8, 2010.
Dear perfect stranger,
You're perfectly welcome to read my musings! :) And thanks much for the inspiration and the prayers. That's very sweet and appreciated.
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