It's the season for giving, and receiving, gifts. For us, it started before Thanksgiving, but a better gift I can hardly imagine.
My wife lost her father this past summer. He had been in poor health for years and the end came relatively quick. When a person has declined for so long and they pass away, we can take some comfort in knowing they're no longer in pain, that their ailing body no longer incarcerates their soul.
There are many things that remind me of my father-in-law. My oldest drives his Ford Taurus to school, work, and on dates. I moved his desk into the basement and work there from home, and now that it's turning cold, I wear his winter coats. Last week I found myself thinking of him, his wonderfully dry humor, his kind nature, and I found myself missing him.
Then, the package arrived.
Most packages we get are addressed to my son--he's the one who orders most things in our house. But this package was addressed to my wife and me. We opened it up and discovered it came from my wife's oldest sister and her husband. They sent a box from the Western Nut Company. It's a local business that has been delicious nut concoctions for decades. The second we opened the box, I thought of Blaine. He loved Western Nut Company and their goods. He always ordered a box for the holidays--it was tradition.
I showed my wife the box, and when we read the accompanying card, we both got misty. It will be the family's first Christmas without their patriarch. The incredibly thoughtful gift made us realize what a fine man he was and what we're going to be missing. It also made us realize that, in some small way, he'll be with us after all.
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