Unexpected wonderfulness

I'm guessing wonderfulness is a word?  My computer isn't telling me it isn't....

On New Year's Eve, I felt tired and I had a sore throat and stuffy head.  I was fully planning on going to bed early.

I usually go to bed before the new year arrives; I like to sleep.

We had decided to see a movie.  I had several I was interested in, with Little Women topping the list.  Mark maintained he had "just seen" Little Women because he had watched a version of it with us when it was on PBS awhile ago.

We decided to go to Star Wars because I wanted everyone happy.

Braeden pointed out to me that Mark had seen Star Wars the day it came out with Anna and Braeden. (Emma had a ticket to go too but she was in the hospital.)  So not only had Mark seen Star Wars, he'd seen that exact movie a few weeks before.

All my-youngest-son-is-spoiled-rotten angst aside, that was our plan.

In the early evening, Stephanie texted.  She was in town and through a confluence of circumstances, alone.  She wanted to go to the movie with us.  I looked at the seats available online and there was one and only one right next to us.  I snatched it up!

She met us at the theater and I was so happy to see my sweet friend!  We enjoyed the movie and then I asked Stephanie if she wanted to come over.

She said, "But aren't you wanting to go to sleep?"

I said, "Come over."

So she did.

We ate snacks and while Emma and Adam decorated a gingerbread house (I don't know--it's been that sort of a year), and Mark was in and out doing whatever it is Mark does, Stephanie and I sat next to the fire and talked.  It did me a world of good.  She is a dancer and her body moves with grace but her spirit is even more graceful.  She has this reservoir of peace and goodwill and gentleness that are inspiring and impressive to me.

Life can be hard and it is exactly that inner perspective and hope and faith that we all need to survive.  I can see that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Stephanie is able to add Grace to her natural grace.

How I love her!

We used to walk every day when we were neighbors.  She gave me a daily dose of her kind listening and example of goodness.  I miss her.

I stayed up way past midnight and I'm not even sorry.