I’m a sucker for those Hallmark commercials on TV, especially the ones they show around the holidays–the little boy doing show and tell with various ornaments to mark stages in his life–the man with the lantern, hiking through the snow to stand on a hilltop and read the card from his daughter, who had always shared the ritual with him, but was away from home for the first time. The grouchy old uncle in the nursing home, the professor packing his books to retire, and probably wondering if he’d ever touched one of his students lives…
I know you’ve seen them.
Well, last night I had a Hallmark Moment all my own. I’ve been battling a case of the flu, writing a new book (which is always hard), and there are lots of changes going on in my life, all of which are good, but stressful nonetheless. I plucked a large envelope from my sister, Sally, from the mail when it was brought in, and inside were delightful photographs of her first grandchild, Jaden, happily gnawing on the corner of the copy of “McKettrick’s Luck” I’d sent to his grandmother. I enjoyed those pictures enormously–this is one cute kid, if I do say so myself, being his great-aunt.
Then I saw the card, tucked in with the pictures. I opened it.
It’s one of those musical ones, and it played, “I’ll Be There”. Instant Hallmark moment. I burst into happy tears. I love my sister Sally, and she loves me. Though we are separated by miles and our busy lives, I know Sally is there for me, and she knows I’m there for her.
It would have made a great commercial.
