Special Gifts

Last Monday I received a gift in the mail from one of my bread board customers.

 It was this adorable french wine box that she made!  Isn't it great? 

I just love it!  Here's a look at the inside...

And she added her initial on the back. 

It really came at a perfect time.  I received it last Monday, which was my dad's birthday, so I was a little sad.  What made it even more special was that my dad was a huge wine collector.  He had a fairly good size collection when he died, part of which I received.  I'm pretty sure the wine isn't drinkable anymore but I'm not about to throw it out.  I've wanted to build something special to keep it in but haven't been motivated to do so.......until I received this special gift.

But what made it the most special was the french saying on the front.  Un petite oiseau m'a dit, which translates to "a little bird told me." 

I don't share personal stories very often because I'm a fairly private person learning to open up more, but I've also struggled with whether or not I should share personal stories on my blog.  Would anyone be interested?  But here goes......

Years ago, after my dad passed, I was going through a particularly difficult time.  I was driving down the road praying to God, my dad, anyone, for guidance, a sign someone was listening or watching over me, anything.....when something a little strange happened.  A dove landed on my windshield and just stared at me. 

Normally this wouldn't be a strange thing, but I was driving on a highway going about 65 mph, so, I couldn't believe the dove was able to stay on the windshield without being blown off.  Maybe that's normal or not strange at all, but, at that moment, I felt a sense of calm come over me that I'd never experienced before.  I decided from then on, whenever I would see a dove, that was my way of knowing that my dad was still with me in spirit, watching over me.   Maybe it's silly, but I guess when we lose those closest to us, we do these things to make ourselves feel better or ease our pain a little. 

Currently, anxiety has become my middle name, but, thanks to wonderful blog friends who have shown me that it's okay to admit when you are going through a rough time, I feel blessed.  So, when I received this gift on my dad's birthday with the saying "a little bird told me", it was a wonderful reminder that I'm not alone.

I hope you didn't mind me sharing this story with you.  Thank you all so much for making me feel so welcome in the big blog world.  And to the person who sent me this gift, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

P.S. The holidays are approaching quickly and my reserve list for bread boards is growing, so if you plan on ordering them for Christmas gifts, now is the time to get them, before my backorder list gets too big that I can't get them completed before the holidays.  Thank you again for making my bread board business possible.  You have made my dream come true.  Have a wonderful Monday.