January 2 Pajamas and Elves

I have some very old pajamas. They are waffle weave, pale yellow with lots of once bright green frogs all over them. Some of the frogs have their arms wide open in anticipation of hugs, some are dancing, some are simply smiling, some are even wearing crowns... the frog prince or princess perhaps? Anyway, they are really well loved pajamas, the kind that Shannon referred to as "comfortable as a second skin". Making the decision to stay in those pajamas while I had my morning coffee with Jules, un decorate the Christmas tree , rearrange furniture and launder curtains was risky. There is always the possibility that someone will come to the door and catch you being you but it was a risk I was willing to take in the interest of comfort .... until the door bell rang.

There standing on our front porch were the "Cookie Elves". My first instinct was to hide and pretend we weren't home...but with no curtains on the windows, I knew that I had been seen. I hadn't brushed my teeth, I hadn't combed my bed hair, I was wearing no foundation garments beneath my well worn frog pajamas and my house looked like a Christmas tornado had just blown through, but these were our favorite elves and they came bearing cookies for goodness sake.

I opened the door and apologized but they didn't see my mess. They smiled that wonderful way elves smile, gave us our cookies and laughed with us about our mutual menageries and the problems that come with multiple critter households. We talked about returning to work and how cold the weather was going to turn, the bag of squirrel food that was scattered across the porch and my brightly colored Santa ribbon.

When they waved goodbye as they headed down the walk, and I closed the door behind me, I realized that I had forgotten how I looked. I had forgotten the frogs, the fir needles, the bare windows and boxes of ornaments. I had relaxed into a moment with friends that far surpassed superficial. These friends love me for me. They don't care how I look, how my house looks or if I'm wearing raggedy jams at noon.

The cookies are delicious, by the way, and we have eaten more in a day than we should have, but each tasty morsel reminds me of what really matters....we do, to each other. What a gift !

Raspberry thumb prints

Second day of a new year

Cookie Elves with hugs !

(Suspend all haiku expectations please, this is a work in progress : )

Comments

[Jan]

We met after we were broken and it didn't matter. So often our oldest friends can't bear to see us so sad, knowing there is nothing they can do and over time they simply disappear from our lives. When Angels bring us together, though, we love each other for who we are, not who we were. You love me just the way I am and I have no doubt that Shannon and Laura knew we would be friends forever. We may not have met 'face to face' but our friendship has always been 'heart to heart'. Love you too BJ

[BJ Paskett]

Jan as always I love to read the things you write from your heart. I still cannot believe we have not met after over eleven years of being friends. This proves that freindship transcends distance.......
I wish I could be one of your cookie elves
Love you
BJ