Happy Heart And Transitions

Last night, my aunt and I took my daughter dress shopping for her 8^th grade dance and graduation.  My daughter very rarely has worn dresses (and I’m pretty sure that it was only voluntarily once) since she was 10 so this is a big deal.  Right by the dressing rooms in Reny’s in Belfast, there is a rack of jewelry.  While she was in the dressing room trying on countless dresses, I can’t tell you how many times Steph and I looked all over that rack looking for a necklace and other accessories to get her depending on which dress she chose.  Then we got to talking about what a hard time I’m having as a mom with my kid transitioning into High School and finding ways to help her cope with such huge changes.  As we’re talking I’m nearly in tears about to lose it right in the middle of the store when out of the corner of my eye, I see something red on top of the same jewelry rack that we had just scoured over and I had to know what it was because no matter how many times we looked on that rack neither of us saw it.  With no price tag and missing something that was in the middle, is this red rose pin.  There is not a doubt in our minds that it’s our Nana Rose Dow saying that she’s here helping me through this.  Rei is her first Great Great Grandchild and she loved her so much when she was here.  Steph and I lost it in the middle of the store.  We told the attendant that was talking to us the entire time about what was going on, and she started crying.  "It's meant to be and I am going to make sure that you don't leave without it!" She told us.  We wanted to get it for Rei to wear and because there was no price on it, the attendant took it to the customer service and told them what was going on and they sold it to us for $1.  I can’t stop getting chills when I think about it and I’m crying as I’m writing this.   We told Rei what happened and she said that she is going to wear it and picked out a necklace to match.  The dress that she got is black so it’s going to be perfect.   I cannot thank the woman working there enough and I didn’t get her name but she is truly an angel.

It was nice to have some girl time with her.  Usually she hates shopping more than a grumpy old man and hauls me through the stores just to get in and out while I'm bouncing from department to department like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter.  Then we stopped at mine and Steph's favorite local hole in the wall but they were slammed with a 45 minute wait for food so we just got drinks.  Then we went to another restaurant that the kids and I go to often and ate dinner.  Then she and I went grocery shopping which she hates to do, but I softened the blow with Tiramisu and a movie.  And then, she snuggled up to me and gave me a hug for the first time since she was 8.  

This is the good stuff folks.