Be Our Guest / Ann Wolski

Every day offers blessings from God

“God comes to you every day disguised as your life.”

I’m not sure who wrote these words of wisdom, but this is one of my favorite quotes. Every day is an adventure. You never know who or what will come into your world and change your perspective. The people I’ve met and my many experiences have been amazing, thought provoking, sad, but always a memorable part of my living day.

—A girl needs her peanut butter, so I stopped at the store to pick up some “chunky.” As I was checking out, I mentioned to the salesclerk that I was going on a walk to enjoy the beautiful day. From that one sentence came a life story that went from granddaughter to God journey. Before I left, she gave me a big bear hug. As I hugged her back, our two souls—black and white—seemed to melt into one another. We were just two women having a moment.

—A father and son were walking around the neighborhood, deep in conversation. As they approached, I was stunned. When did son become taller than dad? When did son become old enough to be going off to college in the fall? As they passed, I wished the dad “Happy Father’s Day.” He smiled and said, “It is a happy Father’s Day. I’m a lucky one.”

Later that day, I learned that because of his busy work schedule, the father was not able to spend as much time with his five children as he would have liked. He spent his Father’s Day walking with each child individually. After three hours and a few miles in his tennis shoes, he reconnected with his family.

—A neighbor stopped to tell me that a dog was running loose in the area, so beware. I couldn’t help but stare into her sparkling blue eyes as she relayed the wild dog warning. I blurted out, “You are beautiful.”

She smiled and said, “I try, but my 93-year-old husband has Alzheimer’s and I spend all my time caring for him. I’m lucky to get my lipstick on in the morning. I just get so tired. Some days are better than others, but we do alright.”

I hugged her and whispered, “You are my hero. Bless you.”

—Their journey together has not been easy. So many years of hurtful feelings between them—a mom who could not care for her baby girl; a daughter who just wanted a mom to love her. But now, at 94 years of age when her mom needed more help, the daughter was willing to step up despite the emotional pain.

On a recent trip to the mall, the daughter saw a dress her mom might like. She bought two.

As the daughter modeled the new dress, her mom commented, “Very pretty. If you stretch it out a little and can’t wear it, I’d love to have it.”

“Mom, let me go change and you can try it on. I think the dress might fit you.”

The daughter slipped into the bedroom and traded her small size for the extra-large.

Her mom’s delight was apparent as she slipped on the dress and twirled around exclaiming, “I look just like you.”

“Mom, you are lovely,” the daughter said.

Each day take time to look around and find God’s hidden blessings in your life. And when you do, those heavenly moments won’t be disguised anymore.
 

(Ann Wolski is a member of St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in Indianapolis.) †