I am choosing to interpret them as reminders to be strong.

It is hard, sometimes, to remember, but, as my fortune cookies said on Sunday night, “Fate will find a way.”

Yesterday my mom randomly spotted this feather on the ground, next to me, in a place where it shouldn’t have been.

And then this morning, my daughter came into my room to snuggle in bed as we were all waking up, and handed this to me:

This is the bracelet that honors my late Uncle; my superman.

Why did she bring it to me, today of all days, to wear?

Because, as this beautiful spirit just texted me, “And tomorrow. We march forth.”

It will be 8 years ago tomorrow that we lost him to melanoma.

This beautiful friend has reached out to me every single year on this day since.

In any case, because yesterday was both triumphant and hard, I feel so blessed that my angels are reminding me to stay strong,

as always.

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Today, his favorites have been my toothbrush, a potholder, “his” iPhone (an old, out of service phone we use as a sound machine), a bag of quinoa

and

my bottle of Jo Malone “Honeysuckle and Jasmine Cologne”.

I think that this is supposed to be used as a perfume, but I use it as a room spray.

And this just isn’t any room spray (and I don’t say that because it is ten times the price of normal “room sprays”). This bottle has a story.

When I was a Junior in college, I had just broken up with my my boyfriend of two years; the boy whom everyone (myself included) thought I would marry, and so I was feeling a little down in the dumps. My confidence was not at it’s highest and my college experience had just changed abruptly and I was living by myself in an apartment, the first (and only) place of my own.

Through some charity function, my Mommom had won a champagne luncheon at Neiman Marcus, featuring the fragrances of Jo Malone. There were about 10 of us, including my grandmother, mom, aunt, and their friends and we sipped champagne and smelled a lot of strong scents until I found one that I liked; One that I really liked.

I mentioned it, offhand, and the next thing I knew, one of my mom’s dear friends handed a bottle to me, offering it as a gift. “Here,” she said. “To new beginnings for you.”

I was so touched. I thanked her and said, “Perhaps this spray will fill my new apartment and bring me the man of my dreams.”

Well, wouldn’t you know, guess who took me out on my very next date?

And I still have the original bottle, and it still has some life in it. I am in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Jo Malone, but I can still say, that is pretty impressive.

And to think, it all started with a little bit of fairy dust and a squirt of perfume.

 But kid,

if you know what’s good for you,

you best leave my Jo (M) ALONE.

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