Six Sentence Story: Slice of Cake

"Do you have any plans for her birthday?"

"I got her a cake, and then we’re supposed to go out but she’s still on her pajamas in bed."

It was 7 pm, and apparently, she was on the phone with her father who was upset that she did not do some chores for him. 

"Let’s go out for dinner, my treat."

He said he would pick up some meds first from the pharmacy to drop off to her dad.

We went out to celebrate her birthday and ended the evening with her giving each one of us a slice of her favorite carrot (birthday) cake.

Leaping

We're leaping and keeping

This oh-good feeling

In our reclaimed "home"

With happiness, peace, and joy we own

It is the end of February

The month of love

It's great to end the month

With the people we love

Here's my gratitude list, ten items, it consists:

• My daughter and his nephew dressing alike, so cute.
• Josiah crawling around exploring and getting stronger.
• A celebration night before Josiah's mom's birthday ends. One of the great Mexican restaurants was still open to serve us.
• We had a good carrot cake. Everybody liked it.
• A quote from Oprah I shared with my children.

• Josiah eating green peas. Such a good boy.
• An excellent beginning-of-the-year review from management and peers.
• A thank you card from the adult children of my patient. How sweet. As an intensive care nurse, we don't get this very often.
• A happy work anniversary card and a gift card from work.
• Gratitude from two men the night I decided to pay forward someone for the blessing of peace in my home. 

I heard a cashier telling an older man before me in the pharmacy that there's a co-pay that must be paid. I did not hear the details. The old man went back to the waiting area with no meds on his hands. I could not help but ask, how much cash does he need. I had to insist that he takes my money and gets his meds. He finally did and gave me the change. He thanked me and shook my hand. He said I was an angel. Another unrelated older man came to me and ask to hug me to say thanks for what he saw. He had tears in his eyes. Wow, I felt so happy. I was in the right place at the right time. I got back from that evening more than I gave.

I have heard about people "paying forward" by randomly paying for a strangers' coffee in a not-so-cheap coffee shop. While it may be convenient and a nice gesture, I doubt that the people who go to these coffee shops really "need" free coffee? I think giving a hand to those who need help makes "paying forward" more meaningful. I find that this gesture makes me feel rich in my heart.

Prayers Answered

More pictures, more gratitude. I did not post last week, so I am doing a make up.

I am thankful for more than ten things, I am sure. Here they are:

• Desserts in a local nursing convention along with valuable learnings I picked up from many speakers. I can use them at work to improve patient care. The breakfast and lunch were tasty as well.
• My grandson looks so cute with his dad here. They were taking selfies.

• A music-filled night watching a Beetles tribute concert on a Valentine's night with friends. Guess where the group are from? Las Vegas, lol. They fooled us talking with an English accent all along until the end when they announced they are Americans. :) They were pretty good singing the popular songs of Beetles, though.

• A Valentine's dinner before the concert in a new restaurant with all-you-can eat sushi. It is a new branch in our city called Sushi Katsu. 
• Free champagne in red glass. We finished it fast and Paul might be too drunk making silly faces with it. :)
• They have Taro dessert, an Asian cake, I like.

• On a serious note, my auntie passed away after years of battling cancer. She is survived by one lucky son, and three lucky daughters who were blessed by her care, love, and support overy many years.
• The flowers are from the gym my daughter and I go to. We exercise there and take our stresses out. It means a lot especially the week of the event that is best not to describe in great detail.
• My son's trouble is over related to the event.
• My daughter's trouble abruptly ended related to the event.
• My prayers were answered related to the event.
• The common denominator aside from the event is removed from our house. We will have a home again.
• I thank God and the legal system for their assistance.
• I thank the medical team who helped us.
• I am happy and thankful beyond words. We celebrated with a family favorite cake--tres leches--for our freedom.

The lesson I learned here is not to take in any homeless person again. I should help some other way but to offer a spare room. It was not easy the last two years, to say the least. Thank God, it's over.

Have a good week, you all.