The Best Present

In the far reaching corners of my mind, I recall a birthday long ago that was warm and bright. I remember it being summer-like. I'd begun to wonder if it was just a dream, but today (this whole week actually) it all came true again. God gave me summer for my birthday! There were birds singing, trees budding, and flowers blooming. I walked in the green grass with bare feet! I even picked myself a birthday bouquet. (I don't think anyone else would have dared pluck daffodils from my garden.) What a wonderful day!

This evening James and I went for an orchard walk. When we returned home I got a phone call from my far away boy. And then, I had a very small bowl of chocolate almond ice cream with a candle on top. I left it burning while I ate and the wax dripped down the ice cream into the bottom of the bowl. I chewed on what I thought was an "old" almond, but it turned out to be a blob of blue candle wax.