Thankful Thursday - A shout out to Linda

I just have to say that I am having a hard time coming up with the right words.

Let me back up and set up the scene.

A week or so ago, a darling new blogger that I have met and fallen in love with Linda of Lindanjake sent me an email mentioning that she had a little something for me and my son and could she get my address.

Well, I'm NEVER one to turn down prizes, and gave her my deets.  I actually then forgot about it for a little while.  Got busy with other things and you know, let it slip that I might have a prizey coming in the mail.

Today, I stepped out to the mailbox inbetween rain showers and, to my delight, found a box addressed to me with a return address of CA.  Linda's name was on it and I immediately got giddy with excitement.

Nothing could have prepared me for when I opened the box and first found this note:

Wha?  Someone thinking of me and my son?  Whenever I get a note or a message like that, I am always taken aback slightly.  Only because I don't ever feel myself interesting enough to think about.  I think the 'ole lack of self esteem creeps in, and my mind doesn't allow me to think that I am worthy of anyone else's thoughts.  So this note started my tear ducts to well up.

I then undid all the bubble wrapping and tissue paper to discover these:

I had unwrapped the saluting Marine bear first and I immediately began to soflty cry while my heart swelled up.

Then when I unwrappe the Marine with his bulldog - I full on Let.It.Out.  Loud weeping.  Tears of happiness, of pride, and of sheer thankfulness.

How is it that a perfect stranger (okay not perfect stranger since we do blog and all), but someone who doesn't even know me IRL, can just be out and about and think of me?  I feel so unworthy of the many gifts, kind words, and thoughtful goodies that come my way.

When the gifts are especially personal, I get all verklempt and overcome with an emotion that is hard to describe.

I feel complete love for my benefactor.  I will humbled that someone would even bother to think of little old me.  Me, who is just a sassy, crassy broad who spends more time offending people than doing kind deeds.  And yet, I am treated so kindly.  So often and by so many others.

What made this package particularly special was the discussion 'dawg and I had earlier in the day.  He was torn between going the the Jazz playoff game and fulfilling his committment to the Marines.  I suppose he could have created an elaborate lie and gotten out of the assignment to make it to the Jazz game, but he had a "come to Jesus" moment with himself.  He reminded himself that being a Marine is what he REALLY wanted to do.  It was going to require sacrifice and he was going to need to get used to giving up things that he wanted for the better good.  I had a proud moment with him today.

This gift this afternoon was the icing on the cake.  And it came at just the right time.  I do not believe in coincidences.

There are not words for me to adequately thank Linda for her thoughtfulness.  Just know that it means the world to me!  I am going to keep the saluting one and 'dawg will take the one one with the Bulldog (since that's his nickname anyway), until he goes to boot camp.  Then it will sit safely on my shelf until he returns.  When he is called for deployment to the wicked desert of Afghanistan or Iraq, it'll come back to my shelf awaiting his safe return.

Linda - thank you.  From the bottom of my heart.  Not just for the darling gifts, but for the mere act of thinking of me.  The message that I am worth someone else's thoughts, does my heart good more than anything else right now.

xoxoxox

M-Cat