Gratitude

Remember the Brush ‘Em project from a couple of months ago that I got back from the framer last month? Well, I saw my friend last week to get my teeth cleaned and I brought it along with me. No fancy wrapping, unfortunately, as I don’t seem to have anything in wrapping paper that is not Christmas- or winter-themed. So, I wrapped it in the brown craft paper that the Tinker Bell post was wrapped in by Michaels.

I had actually mentioned to her husband a few days before (remember, we both work in IT at the same company) that I was going to be bringing her a surprise gift. He thought that the timing was excellent, as she’s had a really rough month or so. Her grandfather died a little over a month ago and now her grandmother has been found to have cancer. I believe it is stage 4, if I’m remembering correctly what he said. Poor gal!

When I walked in the door of the dentist’s office and checked in with a brown paper-wrapped parcel under my arm, I think that I piqued the curiosity of the receptionist, based on the quick glances that I kept seeing her take. My friend came out to get me a few minutes later and we greeted with our usual hugs and kisses. She really is a total sweetheart and I love her to bits! She’s been taking care of my teeth for years and we’ve gone through a lot of life’s ups and downs together. It’s funny how close of a bond we’ve developed, even when we only see each other twice a year!

Anyway, as soon as we got back to the room, I gave her the gift. She seemed shocked and genuinely pleased that I would gift her with anything at all. She decided to open it right away, which I heartily endorsed. She was so happy with it; I can’t even begin to tell you. She was so excited that she ran out and was telling the staff and everyone about it. Women kept poking their heads in to see it and one of them left the room with it to make the rounds so that everyone in the office could see it. Needless to say, it has to be the most well-received stitching gift I have ever given in my life. One of the women stopped in to say that I needed to make 3 more because the other hygienists all wanted one. I just grinned, but after she left, I looked my friend in the eye and said no way, this is a special gift only for her!

She appreciated it so much; we were both overwhelmed. She decided to take it home since she only works in that particular office one day a week. She says she has the perfect place to hang it and that the colors coordinate perfectly with her bathroom. She exclaimed over and over again about how talented I was, though I assured her that it was easy and that I could show her how to do it. I was just beyond pleased with her reaction. I was over the moon, really. When I came out, Terry said that it was the talk of the office.

Days later, I got this in the mail, with a handwritten note about how much she loved her “work of art:”

I’m so glad that I was right when I thought that I knew that she would be a good person to stitch for. I have had mediocre and even no reaction whatsoever (not even an acknowledgment, even though I know that the gift was received because it was hand-delivered by my mother) to things that I have stitched for people before, so it was nice to find that this leap of faith was a sound one.