Unexpected gift

Today has been another first, my birthday without either parent.

I worked and the cake I baked last evening was much appreciated. We have a work social media platform called Slack. It has various channels, some work related but many e.g., #cats, not so much. But I digress...

I put the word out on Slack that there was cake and included a photo of me at 18 months covered in mud. That caused a lot of fun too.

A friend took me out for lunch and I enjoyed my day at work as I seem to at present.

I was surprised to receive a phone call to say that my freight consignment was at home but I wasn't. So much for the 1 hour notice but it didn't matter. They sack barrowed it around the side to a patio area out of street view.

I'm amazed, Mum's camphor wood box with 3 neating tables wrapped in blankets inside were picked up at the other end of the country on Tuesday after and delivered on Thursday afternoon.

I'd been thinking that I only took the camphor wood box for sentimental reasons. I was wrong. It looks wonderful in the bedroom and I love it. It was the right thing to freight it all the way to my place. I've never seen another like this. The detail is amazing.

The tables look good too but I'm still working out where they should live in the lounge.

They would be 65-70 years old. Up until they married Dad was a ships engineer based in Hong Kong. He bought the camphor wood box in China and the tables in India.

I smiled as I unpacked and manoeuvred everything inside. To have received them on my birthday feels like a gift from Mum and Dad.

Today's gratitude: For feeling loved and remembered by so many people.