Sticky Envelopes and Stale Crackers

Today it rained – almost all day long, so I stayed inside to do some art, and to write cards and notes to friends for birthdays and anniversaries.  Maybe that's a bit old fashioned when there are such things as "e-cards," but that's just not my style.  As  I began going through a box of treasured note cards I have collected over the years, I was chagrined to find, once again, the card I REALLY wanted had the envelope stuck to it – on the front of course.  Since it was raining anyway, I decided to try one of the classic old super-sleuth tricks with the steam from my teapot – and voila!! Somehow the challenge of unsticking over two dozen hand selected cards brought back a story from over two years ago. 

First batch of the unstuck cards. 

When we returned from Hawaii in 2012 we were hesitant to tell people we had “just bought a house in Hawaii.” We had not yet sold our 22-year old gallery business - nor had we sold our house.  The reposes were mixed.  Most came with enthusiasm tempered with a degree of puzzlement and concern.  One of my most appreciated responses came from our dear friends Iris and Jeffrey who raised their boys here in Puna and who lost two homes over the years during the Kalapana flow.  Ironically, it was what they didn’t say that was such an appreciated gesture.  They let us effuse with glee and they told stories of their adventures. 

 

At one point, though, it was obvious there were things they were not saying, so we queried them.  They wisely said, “You know there are always pluses and minuses anywhere you live.  We’d love to share your excitement and joy – and just let you discover your own challenges along the way – and learn from them.” So I grinned today while rescuing a batch of much-loved cards.  Yes, we live in a rainforest, with glued envelopes, pesky mongoose,stale crackers, mold, noisy frogs, hurricanes and lava flows.  And like they already knew, we have found our way and continue to learn from every experience.  MAHALO Iris & Jeffrey!  XOXOX