A Gift of Memory and Love

Yesterday I got a very special gift in the mail. I had gotten one of those yellow slips in the postbox on Friday that said there was a package waiting to be picked up at the post office. My sister is here visiting for a few days and when we went downtown yesterday we stopped at the post office and I ran in to pick up the package. When I got back in the car with the package I said to her..." You will never guess who this is from." and she said "From Jan?"I was surprised that she knew. She said that she had received one too.When I opened the package I discovered this beautiful collage wall hanging that Jan had made.
Now, I don't usually get special, unexpected gifts in the mail and never have I received anything so meaningful and done with so much love. Jan is our talented and creative friend that writes the ~LITTLE PINK HOUSES~ blog and participates in a once a month vintage store in Walnut Creek, CA. She and I have become friends. We use to live in the same town when we were growing up and she found me when she was reading a post I wrote about Pleasant Hill, Ca. and a housing tract called Gregory Gardens. We started emailing and the rest is history.
When Mom died in July, Jan was so comforting. She offered to help us with anything we needed to do and she sent emails to be sure that Sis and I were OK. It was the kind of support that was needed..., someone letting you know that she was there if needed but not being obtrusive or making things more complicated. She was wonderful and on top of all the care and concern, she has also given us one thing more. A gift of memory. A gift of friendship and a tribute to Mom.This is one of the most beautiful gift I have every received because each part has such meaning for my sister and I.

The sheet music; Songs My Mother Taught Me by Anton Dvorak brings back memories of Mom sitting at the piano playing all the music of our childhood, teaching us to sing with her. The blue fabric (her favorite color) and lace decorations, the jewelry flowers, the birds and buttons all in threes; for Mom, Sis and I..., and under the last small piece of fabric trimmed with lace, on top of a line of music with words "Seldom from her eye..." is a transparent dove like bird, a faint ghost of an image...., Our Mom? I like to think so. Still near us. Keeping an eye on us and telling us that she is in a wonderful place and that she is happy.

She stands, in the photo, on top of the old water tank house over looking the Ranch in the Napa Valley. She is smiling, happy and filled with possibilities. Were we the lucky ones, her daughters, and..., we are the lucky ones to have a friend who would bother to share her talents and make us such a beautiful gift. Thank you Jan. We are so touched. This is a very special gift that you have given us. It means more that we can say.This song was done Andante con moto(andante con moto means moderately slow, walking, with motion.) which is how our mother lived her life; slowly, always walking in a good direction and always moving forward.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Jan. This is more than a gift. It's a treasure that we will cherish forever.