The Little Gold Box
We had two tags. One said "BYU fan items" and the other "embroidery floss". These were the ones my husband collected off the giving tree at church several weeks before Christmas. Although the tags did not give the names of the intended recipients, I had a really good idea who the "embroidery floss" person was. There is a sweet 70 yr. old lady in our congregation that is partially blind and doesn't get around easily, but with the help of her trusty magnifying glass and a dose of faith, she cross stitches beautiful pictures for anyone she knows that is getting married.
So, with that in my mind, I went to the fabric store and scoured the DMC aisle. Let's see, there're numerous types of floss, and hundreds of colors. How to decide? I started choosing two skeins each of a variety of colors that I thought would be useful to her. Shades of whites and off-whites, a variety of pinks and blues, blacks and browns, yellows and purples. I purchased about 30 skeins, hoping some of them would make their way into her designs.
The floss sat around in it's little plastic bag for a few weeks, and as Christmas neared I knew I needed to get it wrapped and delivered so that those organizing the gifts could get them to the recipients on time. I hunted around for the right size box and found the perfect-sized gold box that I saved from a gift basket that we'd received several months earlier. I covered the label on the bottom, tucked the floss inside, and wrapped it in beautiful gold paper with a shimmery red ribbon. I attached the tag and sent it on it's way, not giving it a whole lot of thought after that.
Today in church, this sweet lady spoke to the congregation about her miraculous recovery from the knee cap replacement she'd had the beginning of December, thanking everyone who had helped her. She then went on to express her gratitude for all of the lovely gifts she'd received at Christmastime. She spoke of the one gift in particular that had really touched her. The gold box that, when she'd started to unwrap it, she thought contained cassette tapes. But when she lifted the lid she discovered it had embroidery floss in "all the colors I use!" She was so appreciative and touched by this simple gift, enough so to mention it and describe its contents, explaining that whoever had given it must have really known just what she needed and liked.
My husband, who was sitting on the stand, was looking my way, with just a touch of a smile at the corner of his mouth. This was our little secret and we weren't about to let on to anyone that we knew a thing about the little gold box.
It was a moment of sweet joy, the instant when you are aware that there was more than just your own little brain at work. I felt gratitude that I had been guided so that I could provide something that would bring a bit of joy into another's life. I intend to get on that wavelength more often. It was indeed a moment of sweetness, to be sure.
InJoy,
Cristi
So, with that in my mind, I went to the fabric store and scoured the DMC aisle. Let's see, there're numerous types of floss, and hundreds of colors. How to decide? I started choosing two skeins each of a variety of colors that I thought would be useful to her. Shades of whites and off-whites, a variety of pinks and blues, blacks and browns, yellows and purples. I purchased about 30 skeins, hoping some of them would make their way into her designs.
The floss sat around in it's little plastic bag for a few weeks, and as Christmas neared I knew I needed to get it wrapped and delivered so that those organizing the gifts could get them to the recipients on time. I hunted around for the right size box and found the perfect-sized gold box that I saved from a gift basket that we'd received several months earlier. I covered the label on the bottom, tucked the floss inside, and wrapped it in beautiful gold paper with a shimmery red ribbon. I attached the tag and sent it on it's way, not giving it a whole lot of thought after that.
Today in church, this sweet lady spoke to the congregation about her miraculous recovery from the knee cap replacement she'd had the beginning of December, thanking everyone who had helped her. She then went on to express her gratitude for all of the lovely gifts she'd received at Christmastime. She spoke of the one gift in particular that had really touched her. The gold box that, when she'd started to unwrap it, she thought contained cassette tapes. But when she lifted the lid she discovered it had embroidery floss in "all the colors I use!" She was so appreciative and touched by this simple gift, enough so to mention it and describe its contents, explaining that whoever had given it must have really known just what she needed and liked.
My husband, who was sitting on the stand, was looking my way, with just a touch of a smile at the corner of his mouth. This was our little secret and we weren't about to let on to anyone that we knew a thing about the little gold box.
It was a moment of sweet joy, the instant when you are aware that there was more than just your own little brain at work. I felt gratitude that I had been guided so that I could provide something that would bring a bit of joy into another's life. I intend to get on that wavelength more often. It was indeed a moment of sweetness, to be sure.
InJoy,
Cristi
posted by Cristi at
7:23 PM
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