The gift

Most people who know me realize that I am a purse aficionado. Well, I am very attracted to purses in various styles and colors. I really do not need any new purses, but when I was at Target a few weeks ago, I discovered they had scattered their purse displays throughout the women's sections and since I am trying to walk more and get in more steps, this was just the kind of hunt that was made for me.

I happened on a circular purse that looked like it had been made out of those braided rug padded seat covers people put on chairs in country kitchens. These were solid colors and actually they only had three that I found in the store that day. Two were a sort of olive drab and one was black. Normally I would have gone for the black one, but it was already showing bits of lint and there was just something about the shape and color of that olive one that called to me.

I initially left it there, but finally went back and bought it.

For all the lovely and sometimes expensive purses I have in my possession I don't think I've ever had more than a handful of comments about them and those were spread over many years and many different purses.

Not this one! I have been stopped in the checkout of a store by a woman telling me how much she loved this purse and wanting to know where I got it. Then I was stopped in a parking lot by another woman who just fell all over me and my purse, because she loved it so much.

Today I was walking through a thrift store when a tall, beautiful, statuesque woman, with long shiny black hair and exquisite mahogany skin was in a wheel chair in front of me. She was shopping in the clothes section and I was on my way to the Knick knacks, so I excused myself and squeezed around her. We did this several times and then she was at the checkout when I was leaving.

As I passed her she smiled and said, "I love your purse!" I thanked her as I was going on by when she went on. "I can just see you carrying that and wearing a lovely sundress to match!"

 I was so taken a back I gushed, "Awwww, thank you," while thinking I would love to be the kind of woman who wore willowy sundresses that matched my purse (and maybe a big sun hat,) but I haven't been that for over 45 years.

She still didn't let me go. "No! Can't you see it? You even have the hair for it. Don't you wear sundresses? They would be perfect on you."

I shook my head no, feeling like I might cry. This gorgeous woman was making me feel beautiful!

I honestly couldn't own it, but it made me feel so good. I thanked her again, but it didn't begin to express how I felt.