I've been out of the workforce since July of 2009 so; it's been awhile since I’ve been on the business side of things. It's no surprise then that I felt a little nervous and frazzled about my first yard sale. My community holds a Community wide yard sale twice a year and, one of them occurred this past Saturday.
For this particular sale, I started prepping a month in advance, unlike the last one, (my Son became ill and, I was unable to complete preparation). Despite prepping a month in advance, (only because I mixed up the dates on the sale) I still did not complete tagging everything I was selling with a price tag. In addition to failing to prep the merchandise, I was unable to go to sleep till about 1 a.m. the night before. I had planned to wake at 6 a.m. the day of the sale but, my Husband pressed the snooze button twice, (I’m really not upset by that) and I didn't wake until 6:30 a.m. I was counting on my Husband to help me set up but, he had to leave for work around 7-ish and, as a result, I ended up setting up for the sale on my own.
The sale was scheduled and advertised to start at eight a.m. but, I did not start placing my items for sale outside until 7:30. Lucky for me, my Son is still small enough to pack into an Ergo carrier so, I managed the back carry position on my own and started dragging the tables to be used out onto the, "lawn", (I live in a townhome community and, I have about a foot of "yard"). As I began dragging out heavy tables through my front door, (trying not to clip my child on the door jamb) my first customer pulled up.
My first customer was a late middle-aged woman with close cropped hair, glasses and a calm, affable presence. She did not seem to mind that I was just beginning to set out my merchandise. In fact, this kind lady began pawing through the boxes I set out and, instead of throwing the items about, she gently placed the items on the tables I had moved outside.
As the lady and I worked, we made conversation of the usual yard sale sort but, I felt kind of a kinship and, thinking back, it kind of makes me feel like she was a woman in my, "village", a friend who would drop by and help me prepare dinner, tend to my baby, pick up wet laundry to hang as we talked except, she was doing me multiple favors with her kindness.
This lady must have stayed for about 45 minutes, looking through the stuff I was selling, chatting, helping. I must say, this lady set the tone for my day and, as a result, I believe that, despite the heat and my gypsy toddler, set me up with a goodly store of cheer. This lady's helped, unassuming and without hidden agenda. The lady ended up purchasing quite a bit of the items I set out and, as a way of expressing my gratitude and rewarding her for her assistance, I gave her two of the items she put aside to purchase, for free.
While the predicted 90 degree weather started proving itself with a vengeance and, my Son proved me foolhardy for believing that he would be content in his old Pack N' Play, (he climbed out, no fewer than three times) a couple of neighbors, walking their dogs, one with her 4 week old son, (we saw her and her Husband come home for the first time with their baby) and another who has a Son that is a year and a half old, stopped by. I was blessed by watching my Son's pure delight in greeting and playing with the dogs. The dogs were as delighted with him, as he was with them, (while I do not enjoy pet hair, fleas and picking up poop, one day, Colin will have a doggy of his own because, he really seems to love them so). I also enjoyed getting to know these Mom's who are my neighbors and, other neighbors as well but, I was not only treated by neighbors, on this day of goodwill.
Friends who are new and, friends who I know, stopped by and, I was blessed by enhancing our acquaintance and, our friendships. My heart feels rich and full of love when I think of all of the women that I am blessed to know. Each woman that I count as friend adds a resonant note to life song and, to my song. I was grateful that these ladies stopped by to support my yard sale, to converse, commiserate and affirm.
Peppered in with the friends, I greeted many strangers. While some of these strangers did not seem to desire a conversation or, to purchase the items I was selling, most of them did and, the morning passed by quickly because of them.
At one point in the day, a trio of people approached and, one of the women in the party reminded me a little bit of my Husbands Mother. My Son went right to her and, allowed her to hold him for quite some time. I was really touched and, a little unsettled by it but, if my Son decided she was good enough to hang out with, I trusted him. While my Son makes friends with all ages, he does hold reservation and, it's because he seems to have a healthy balance that I tend to trust his first impression in tandem with my own.
I ended up knocking over a lamp and, the bulb that was blown that was still in it, hit the pavement and shattered. I had to step inside to grab a broom and dustpan, frantic over the strange woman still holding my Son, having fleeting visions of the trio running to their truck and taking off with my child but, in the end, I trusted and, when I came back outside, the trio was still there and, so was my Son.
After I swept up the glass, my Son reached his arms out for me and, I felt in that moment, in a day with too much to process, the crescendo of a symphony that was being conducted by Heaven that, I was attuned to and, aligned with that day.
In the bright, hot Florida sunshine on a Saturday morning, I felt that I was blessed with a delicious ladle of Humanity soup.
No, I don't mean sweat...LOL.
Imagine a pot of soup, made with fresh ingredients. Imagine spooning up a ladle full of that soup and, in that ladle, you can see the vibrant colors of the vegetables, the rich pools of oily fat, the cubes of juicy meat, and the flecks of fresh herbs.
If you're not starving, you can wait for the ladle full to cool before taking a sip and, in that sip, you are rewarded with the soothing feel of warmth, the taste of richness, can sort out the different flavors and appreciate how they mingle together.
I have not been starving but, I have been hungry. I was given an invitation to a meal that I had to work hard for, that I hoped and expected gain from and little else. I was tired, frazzled, and hot and even still, I was able to see and feel the good thrum of life.
Because I feel humbled and blessed by this day, I feel that God gave me this day. I may have asked for it but, not with any direction, just with a need I did not know.
I have no bible verses to leave you with but, here is what is in my head, heart and soul:
I have heard the call for proof of the Divine. I have added my own voice to the call at times. I have listened to those who have ways of explaining how to build your faith and, while their ways may help, in the end, it's up to you.
I wasn't expecting Saturday but, I recognized the presence of the divine in that day.
I wasn't given a miracle, a sum of money, an answer to all of my problems.
I was blessed with things far more lasting and fulfilling: Hope, Love, Charity, Kindness, Endurance, Strength and Faith.
This is what I believe and feel and, I just wanted to pass on that, in these times when it seems that everyone is angry and unforgiving, when there are natural disasters and tragedy everywhere we look, virtue still exists and will not be easily extinguished.
For this particular sale, I started prepping a month in advance, unlike the last one, (my Son became ill and, I was unable to complete preparation). Despite prepping a month in advance, (only because I mixed up the dates on the sale) I still did not complete tagging everything I was selling with a price tag. In addition to failing to prep the merchandise, I was unable to go to sleep till about 1 a.m. the night before. I had planned to wake at 6 a.m. the day of the sale but, my Husband pressed the snooze button twice, (I’m really not upset by that) and I didn't wake until 6:30 a.m. I was counting on my Husband to help me set up but, he had to leave for work around 7-ish and, as a result, I ended up setting up for the sale on my own.
The sale was scheduled and advertised to start at eight a.m. but, I did not start placing my items for sale outside until 7:30. Lucky for me, my Son is still small enough to pack into an Ergo carrier so, I managed the back carry position on my own and started dragging the tables to be used out onto the, "lawn", (I live in a townhome community and, I have about a foot of "yard"). As I began dragging out heavy tables through my front door, (trying not to clip my child on the door jamb) my first customer pulled up.
My first customer was a late middle-aged woman with close cropped hair, glasses and a calm, affable presence. She did not seem to mind that I was just beginning to set out my merchandise. In fact, this kind lady began pawing through the boxes I set out and, instead of throwing the items about, she gently placed the items on the tables I had moved outside.
As the lady and I worked, we made conversation of the usual yard sale sort but, I felt kind of a kinship and, thinking back, it kind of makes me feel like she was a woman in my, "village", a friend who would drop by and help me prepare dinner, tend to my baby, pick up wet laundry to hang as we talked except, she was doing me multiple favors with her kindness.
This lady must have stayed for about 45 minutes, looking through the stuff I was selling, chatting, helping. I must say, this lady set the tone for my day and, as a result, I believe that, despite the heat and my gypsy toddler, set me up with a goodly store of cheer. This lady's helped, unassuming and without hidden agenda. The lady ended up purchasing quite a bit of the items I set out and, as a way of expressing my gratitude and rewarding her for her assistance, I gave her two of the items she put aside to purchase, for free.
While the predicted 90 degree weather started proving itself with a vengeance and, my Son proved me foolhardy for believing that he would be content in his old Pack N' Play, (he climbed out, no fewer than three times) a couple of neighbors, walking their dogs, one with her 4 week old son, (we saw her and her Husband come home for the first time with their baby) and another who has a Son that is a year and a half old, stopped by. I was blessed by watching my Son's pure delight in greeting and playing with the dogs. The dogs were as delighted with him, as he was with them, (while I do not enjoy pet hair, fleas and picking up poop, one day, Colin will have a doggy of his own because, he really seems to love them so). I also enjoyed getting to know these Mom's who are my neighbors and, other neighbors as well but, I was not only treated by neighbors, on this day of goodwill.
Friends who are new and, friends who I know, stopped by and, I was blessed by enhancing our acquaintance and, our friendships. My heart feels rich and full of love when I think of all of the women that I am blessed to know. Each woman that I count as friend adds a resonant note to life song and, to my song. I was grateful that these ladies stopped by to support my yard sale, to converse, commiserate and affirm.
Peppered in with the friends, I greeted many strangers. While some of these strangers did not seem to desire a conversation or, to purchase the items I was selling, most of them did and, the morning passed by quickly because of them.
At one point in the day, a trio of people approached and, one of the women in the party reminded me a little bit of my Husbands Mother. My Son went right to her and, allowed her to hold him for quite some time. I was really touched and, a little unsettled by it but, if my Son decided she was good enough to hang out with, I trusted him. While my Son makes friends with all ages, he does hold reservation and, it's because he seems to have a healthy balance that I tend to trust his first impression in tandem with my own.
I ended up knocking over a lamp and, the bulb that was blown that was still in it, hit the pavement and shattered. I had to step inside to grab a broom and dustpan, frantic over the strange woman still holding my Son, having fleeting visions of the trio running to their truck and taking off with my child but, in the end, I trusted and, when I came back outside, the trio was still there and, so was my Son.
After I swept up the glass, my Son reached his arms out for me and, I felt in that moment, in a day with too much to process, the crescendo of a symphony that was being conducted by Heaven that, I was attuned to and, aligned with that day.
In the bright, hot Florida sunshine on a Saturday morning, I felt that I was blessed with a delicious ladle of Humanity soup.
No, I don't mean sweat...LOL.
Imagine a pot of soup, made with fresh ingredients. Imagine spooning up a ladle full of that soup and, in that ladle, you can see the vibrant colors of the vegetables, the rich pools of oily fat, the cubes of juicy meat, and the flecks of fresh herbs.
If you're not starving, you can wait for the ladle full to cool before taking a sip and, in that sip, you are rewarded with the soothing feel of warmth, the taste of richness, can sort out the different flavors and appreciate how they mingle together.
I have not been starving but, I have been hungry. I was given an invitation to a meal that I had to work hard for, that I hoped and expected gain from and little else. I was tired, frazzled, and hot and even still, I was able to see and feel the good thrum of life.
Because I feel humbled and blessed by this day, I feel that God gave me this day. I may have asked for it but, not with any direction, just with a need I did not know.
I have no bible verses to leave you with but, here is what is in my head, heart and soul:
I have heard the call for proof of the Divine. I have added my own voice to the call at times. I have listened to those who have ways of explaining how to build your faith and, while their ways may help, in the end, it's up to you.
I wasn't expecting Saturday but, I recognized the presence of the divine in that day.
I wasn't given a miracle, a sum of money, an answer to all of my problems.
I was blessed with things far more lasting and fulfilling: Hope, Love, Charity, Kindness, Endurance, Strength and Faith.
This is what I believe and feel and, I just wanted to pass on that, in these times when it seems that everyone is angry and unforgiving, when there are natural disasters and tragedy everywhere we look, virtue still exists and will not be easily extinguished.
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