Words of comfort from my grandmother...

Dear Diary,

When I got back from visiting the ice castle late on Thursday, there was a package waiting for me on the front porch.  Quite out of a clear blue sky, my sister-in-law had sent me three old books for my genealogical pursuit.  One was a fascinating log book my great-great grandfather had kept beginning in 1837.  Filled with notations of the price of things, what he sold and other pieces of information, it will be a wonderful thing to pour over in the coming days.

But the book that really got to me given the recent "incident" was a scrapbook my grandmother had compiled of things she had cut from magazines and newspapers.  There was an emery board, she always used one for filing her nails, marking a page which I opened to.  It was filled with wonderful bits of wisdom typical of the things she loved to collect. One, entitled, "Why Me?" seemed especially appropriate.  Coming when it did, so unexpectedly, brought tears to my eyes.  It was like she was reaching out to comfort me.

I am a firm believer in the notion that there are no coincidences.  I was meant to have this book at this time.  I know many people are skeptical of such things but it has happen to me countless times over the years.  I use to be surprised by it, I'm not anymore.  Just that morning I had been holding my grandparent's wedding rings, so grateful that they had not been stolen with the other jewelry, but feeling terribly sorry for myself for losing all the rest.  This was her response I guess.

Why Me?

When we must accept a hardship
That we did not dream could be,
Our first impulse is to ask:
Why me? O God, why me?
When a blessing comes to us,
We receive it joyously,
Then seldom do we question:
Why me? O, God, why me?

Nellie Knuth