The Tea Service

Love and kindness are never wasted.

They always make a difference.

-Barbara De Angelis

Junior, the mail lady, really hates that Freeman House is on her route. A tremendous amount of mail gets delivered here throughout the week, not to mention the many book and fabric deliveries that somehow end up on my doorstep. (Ahem.)

Yesterday Junior looked particularly vexed. She was balancing a large USPS Priority box on her knee and banging on the door with her elbow. I opened the door, embarrassed, before realizing: "I didn't order this one, Junior! Promise!". Don't think she bought it.

But I really hadn't bought it. I manuevered the large box through the door and into the dining room and sat at the table with my rotary cutter and sliced the box to death. Inside were two smaller boxes and enough packing peanuts to fill one of those bouncy ball arenas at McDonald's. And a card. There was a card inside, too. It read:

Sorry he's broken your heart again. Happy Singles' Awareness Day. -T

Oh how I laughed. And then cried. I'm sure I looked like a raving loon, alternately cackling and bawling while tightly clutching this white teapot... packing peanuts in my hair and everywhere.

Thanks, T, for the tea set. How could you have known I'm planning to do the cottage kitchen in white ironstone? I didn't have a complete white ironstone tea service. Thank you. But beyond the tea set, thank you a hundred times more for your friendship. For all of your friendships. Your love and kindness aren't wasted here.

Thanks for making a difference to me. -Brin