Friends

Someone’s prayers are working; please keep them going!

I attended a casual wedding reception tonight—not the ideal place to go to cap my eventful and depressing week, my unwelcome divorce having finalized on Monday.

  There were probably 50 or more people at the party. I was sitting by myself at one of a number of folding tables set up for eating when out of the blue, this precious little girl of maybe 2-years old saddles up beside me. I have never met this child before, and I figured she was just mistaking me for her daddy. She wraps her arms around me, smiles the sweetest smile as she looks me straight in the eyes, and mutters something as she gives me a “there, there, now” pat on the back.

  A few minutes later, I see a beautiful golden Labrador retriever—another stranger—prances around the corner of the house. He focused his eyes directly my way, as he made a bee line for me to make his tail-wagging introduction, after which he proceeded to sit down and stay right beside me.

  My spirits were lifted a bit, but I didn’t stay long. The atmosphere was festive, despite the Hagg on the music box, but I still felt alone among the crowd.

  As I headed home, I debated staying in for the rest of the night or running a couple of errands and maybe stopping by one of my regular restaurant homes for a cup of coffee.

  Out I went. After some indecision as to whether I wanted to stop at my restaurant, I pulled into the parking lot. One of my regular waitresses was off the clock and talking to another customer outside. (Waitresses, of course, make oustanding lay psychologists.) 

  As I got out, the waitress approached me to say the other customer told her he really liked my customized truck, to which she replied, “I know him; I’m gonna give him a hug.”

  She asked how I was, and I replied to her that I sure wish she would quit waitressing and return to the massage therapy business, so I could let her regularly work on my carpel-tunnel plagued hand and arm.

   “Go get your coffee and come on back out, and I’ll work on your hand.”

   I went in and my coffee was served without ordering it. Within seconds someone made some funny comment which had us all laughing.

   Back outside, and about 15 minutes into my free hand therapy, out comes my other regular waitress to refill my coffee cup. What service!

  Pain free, I ate a delicious meal, thanked my accommodating hosts, including an awesome cook, and left very pleased that I had not stayed home alone tonight.