Surprises can happen even almost six years later

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This year, for the first time, John took over the tradition that his father had started: smoking the ham and turkey for our dinner.

I thought that was pretty cool that he wanted to do that, and it gave me a warm feeling to see him chopping up the wood and keeping the firebox full just the way Andy used to.

In order to chop the wood John needed the hatchet that I keep locked up in his dad's toolbox. (The toolbox,one of those gigantic rolling Craftsman types, will become his when he gets older... probably on his 18th birthday.)

After taking out the hatchet, John gave me back the key.

Then he said matter-of-factly: "Mom, did you know Daddy kept a picture of you in the lid of his toolbox?"

No, I didn't know. I had been through the tools a couple of times after Andy died, but it never occured to me to look inside the lid. John stands perfectly at eye level with it. I took the key and opened up the box. Sure enough, on the lefthand corner of the top lid was a photo of me that, judging from what I was wearing, was taken around 1996. I don't even remember the photo! It was in a plastic sleeve and neatly taped inside the lid.

After all these years, sometimes I almost forget that the man adored me.

But there on that lid was more proof. He loved me. He really loved me!

Just thought I'd share.