The Things You Don't Realize Until The Letter Arrives

(If you did not read my last post you may want to start there...)

Something funny has been going on with my mail lately. I receive invitations to many community functions as well as all the regular bills and junk mail, but most recently I had not received two invitations (that I know were sent to me) for private celebrations.

One was a Bat Mitzvah

and the other is an upcoming wedding of a classmate of mine.

I just saw the bride herself at a shower we classmates made for her and everyone was just getting the invitations in the mail just prior to the weekend. Well as of yesterday I still did not receive mine.

However, I did find another card which I knew could not have been processed in the mail until this past Monday, the earliest. that means it was mailed out Monday and I received it Tuesday. Which begs the question,

WHERE IS MY WEDDING INVITATION???

Anyway, I knew this card was not mailed out until Monday because it referred to an incident that happened Sunday (which is why you should read my last post).

This was certainly not something I was expecting and I also did not expect the response I had towards it.

The cover of the card had the words "Thank You" written all over it in different fonts, and the handwritten note on the inside went like this -

Dear Orah,

How do you thank someone for saving your life?!
I am so grateful to God for placing you in my path today.
Your immediate care and concern made me feel safe during what was a very vulnerable time for me.
I'm so impressed with the way your children were beautifully well-behaved while you helped a stranger.
If ever there is ANYTHING you think I could do for you, PLEASE don't hesitate to call me!
Thank you so much!
Respectfully,
"Anne"
(phone number enclosed)

"Saving your life"?????????????

It was not until she wrote those words that I even remotely considered that I possibly saved someones life.

And so when I saw those words, I burst out crying.

I am not sure why exactly, but I had to pick So up from gymnastics and I just walked out with the card in my hand and got in the car, drove off, pulled the car over to wait for So at the same place where we were swimming on Sunday, and I just started bawling again like a baby.

I just did what needed to be done. Who thinks about what they are actually doing at the time?

It wasn't until the card arrived that I actually thought about what really occurred.

And then after I composed myself, I actually started laughing.

"Your children were beautifully well-behaved while you helped a stranger."

How did she have the presence of mind while she was in her compromised situation to notice how my kids were behaving???

And then for her to actually make a point of mentioning that to me....

I myself have no idea how my kids were behaving because I was pretty much ignoring them.

I would like to believe my kids are always well behaved (yeah right...) but truth is, they must have been behaving if I was able to focus all my attention on Anne during her crisis.

So I should thank them for that, I suppose.

I appreciate the note.

I spoke about the Hebrew term "Hashgacha Pratis" (Divine Providence), we also have a term in Hebrew called "Hakaras Hatov"
It's "recognizing the good" in someone and acknowledging it.

I appreciate that she acknowledged what I did (although I could have easily gone on with my life without the recognition from her), but I also realized I need to make a point of acknowledging my kids for how they waited patiently and allowed me the space and time to do what I needed to do.

So when they get home from school, that is just what I will do.

One small note in the mail, can go a distance not perceived.