Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Secret Santa brings a tear!!!!

I got involved with the Secret Santa from over at Decisionally Challenged a few months ago & today was the day I received my package!!! Before we even go any further & you see this - know that my Secret Santa made me cry!!!! What a gift....



So this is what I found coming in the door from the grocery - something that I hate to do is grocery shopping - so it was so fun to come home to a package. Instantly, my husband said, "Did you buy more yarn?" - I told him no & had him feel how heavy the package was - no way was this yarn!

So I open it up & get a card from my Secret Santa...Simone (dont you just love that name!!!)

Then look what else was in my box....


The first thing I noticed were barretts. I LOVE beautiful barretts but hate to buy them because they are so expensive!!!! I got not one, not two - but THREE pairs of gorgeous barretts. Then I got a package of soaps & lotions - yummy! Also a coffee mug with the cutest puppy on it (you all know I love me some doggies!) & the mug was FULL of chocolates!! (Gotta keep the hubs away from that!)

THEN - yeah, we're still NOT done!!! There was a Knitting Journal! Now I've seen this journal in stores through the years & have always wanted to get it but chose instead to purchase yarn. I have picked up this journal & thumbed through it many times so I instantly knew what it was!!! Now its mine!!!! How cool....

Now the best part - get ready for the tears!!!! - There was a beautiful silk wrapped package & I could hear metal hitting - I looked at my husband & said, "Knitting Needles?" - but on the outside was a letter from Simone. OH MY - the story brought tears to my eyes & caused my husband's jaw to drop. I have to share what it says.... if you feel this is long - its worth it - believe me!

Dear Rebecca:

Although the knitting needles are old & used, they hold a special significane - the knitting together of friendships.

I met Inja while our daughters trained at a USA gymnastics training center. Her husband was a pastor at Crystal Cathedral & together, they were raising two great kids. Howard was born & raised in California but as God works in his own way, he brought them together in Korea, where he met Inja at a church service.

Theirs was a love that many romance books could be written about. He clearly loved her & Howard was her world.

Unexpectedly, Howard suffered a heart aneurysm without warning & passed away leaving Inja distraught & ready to give up. She cried out to God to take her. She didn't want to live, yet, her children needed her.

God knitted together a friendship between the two of us. Here we were - a Korean woman with extreme talent in knitting, sewing, cooking & me, an African American woman, who also loved to cook & create but from a totally different culture - Yet, we spoke the same language because of our love for God.

She shared with me her passion for creating with her hands. I shared with her the gift of laugher.

Slowly, what was once ashes became beauty. She cried but at times, there were tears of happiness & not from sadness. She missed the love of her life tremendously, but found hope to live & breathe again.

Inja wanted to share her passion of knitting with me so she gave me a gift of tons of knitting supplies as well as needles. I had tucked them away & hoped that I would find someone that would enjoy them as much as she did.

And with you, my secret santa..... I give you a treasured gift.

Enjoy!
Simone

OK - I am ready to cry again!!!! I cant thank Simone enough for sharing the story with me as well as the knitting needles. As you can see - the packages are weathered over time & are very old. There is a set of needles with the cost being 25 cents & another for 75 cents.

The thing that really hit me even more is my friendship with my dear Stephanie who has passed away & how knitting was such a huge part of our lives & how we would tell stories & become sisters while yarn was in our hands. And I look at my friendships now - & how knitting has been such a big part of developing the wonderful relationships.

And now, a person I have never met in person - & have never heard of before today - has shared with me a touch of her friendship that involved knitting..... I will truly cherish these needles - I will put them with all the knitting supplies of Stephanie's that I still have as well. Another story to tell when someone asks why those needles are seperated & what they mean.

This gift is the best gift anyone could have given me.....I can feel it from the heart.....

Thank you Simone.... My Holidays have truly been kicked off in the best way possible!!!!

32 comments:

  1. I'm Simone's oldest daughter, & wanted to say that this package touched even ME! I was about ready to cry, remembering Inja & her story. I knew exactly what my mom was sending you, but it was still very touching. She put so much care & thought into what she gave you, which I'm sure you already know. :]

    I'm just so glad you love the gifts.

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  2. Wow! What an amazing gift! That is the sweetest thing ever!

    (And speaking of sweet, I just wanted to tell you how much all of your sweet comments on my blog mean to me. I cherish them all! So thank you!!!)

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  3. Wow! That is very cool. What a neat little blessing from the Lord!

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  4. I got tears in my eyes just from reading this!!

    The gifts from the heart are truly the best, and you could tell she put her whole heart into it. How neat!!

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  5. Rebecca Jo,
    The most precious gifts are the ones from the heart. What a treasure these are. I do not know how to knit, but this story and your love for it makes me want to learn.

    Thank you for sharing this ~~ and thank you for your prayers.

    Have a Happy Thanksgiving dear one,
    Dawn

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  6. What a lovely gift!!! Maybe you should go grocery shopping more often!

    Just kidding.

    I know you will treasure those needles even more...knowing the history behind them.

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  7. You're so very welcome, Rebecca. There is more to the story but I gave you a very condensed version that if you'd like, I can pass along to you.

    I never learned to knit...although there's still plenty of time to learn. I do crochet though and even now, I have to admit that I haven't crocheted in about a year.

    I took the SS serious because I realize the fun and silliness of it but also the joy of friendships beginning from something as simple as that.

    I didn't comment on your blogs for fear that you'd find me out but I have been lurking for a bit. I feel like I know you! :)

    Once more, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

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  8. Oh Bec... what an amazing gift! Isn't it so wonderful... you don't have to have met someone to form a friendship. So many other things bring people together... even the world of blogging!But, I've always said that you can make a friend anywhere, any time!!!!

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  9. What a beautiful gift! How precious of her!

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  10. WOW, What wonderful gifts and dang that story even got me all teary eyed!! Thanks for participating in Secret Santa this year!

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  11. What an amazing and beautiful gift! You've got a GOOD secret santa!

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  12. well Simone is trying to make the rest of us look bad or what? I AM KIDDING! what a perfect match you 2 were for the Secret santa Soiree!

    Simone really put thought,heart and soul into her SSS package
    Thanks for joining us this year

    Happy thanksgiving

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  13. How awesome is that? Girl, I know you will just treasure those things each time you see them and use them. God is so good!

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  14. That is a very thoughtful gift. She clearly knows her SSS partner.

    Happy Holidays!

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  15. I am so glad I came over from Georgie's to see what you got. What an incredible gift from the heart, that also brought tears to my eyes. Such a sweet, sweet gift.

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  16. What a beautiful gift. Just great. Thanks for sharing the story.

    BTW-Your blog is absolutely, positively gorgeous. I love it.

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  17. What a wonderful story! I found you via Decisionally Challenged . . . thank you for sharing that sweet and touching story . . . so much to be thankful for this time of year!

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  18. This story has to be one of the best I have read in a while. What a special person Simone is to have touched not only your, but the rest of us who will read this post.

    What a way to start the Holiday season. Blessings.

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  19. Wow, that is incredible! I feel so special in being able to share with you the gift of knitting (even though you would undoubtedly learned it from someone else along the way), with the incredible relationships and journies it has led you on.

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  20. I'm sobbing! What a wonderful gift! So heartfelt.

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  21. What a special gift! What a great idea to do a secret santa exchange between bloggers. I also wanted to thank you for stopping by on my SITS day:)

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  22. What a wonderful gift and story, wow, you weren't kidding about getting ready for the tears!
    this is my first visit to your blog, but I'll definitely be coming back :o)
    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  23. Wow. I am sitting here rubbing tears out of my eyes now. What a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone.

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  24. This is so so precious!

    The friendships that come through this blogging world are just amazing!

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  25. Stopping by from SITS - What a beautiful and very thoughtful gift!! Such a touching letter and story, it was truly a gift from the heart. I hope that you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving.

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  26. oh wow i cried as i read that, that has got to be the best gift of all. definitely something that will be remembered for years to come. you are so very lucky. have a wonderful holidays.

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  27. WOW! Congrats on the great gift. Stopping by from Georgie's post.

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  28. WOw! Just wow!!

    COming over from Georgie's SSS. What a wonderful lady you have for your sss. Just amazing.

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