It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas ... or miracles really can happen at the mall or the girl/guru that got away

I hadn't been to the mall in a very long time.

It was cold and rainy and I was in a funk, weighed down with so many important things happening so outside of my control these days, when I spied something warm and uber comfortable calling my name from the Old Navy window and wandered inside.

I noticed a cute little couple- she in an outfit that may have been stolen from a goodwill drop box or maybe from that guy that sleeps on the steps of the local library -

(I am now too old for this and if I tried it would be approached by an off-duty police officer and asked if I needed a ride back to the group home - I can though, still appreciate the crafty ability to throw together a couple articles of old clothing, various doodads and a handful of glitter and make it look adorable)

but somehow looked perfectly perfect on her talking to a hipstery handsome guy with a very bored look on his face.

"You shouldn't be talking about this in public", he was saying, scanning the room, "but I agree this is very, very important. I mean, dude, this could save the world and I mean it."

I was behind them, purchasing my old navy performance fleece pajama pants for $10.

(while I never realized I needed "performance" out of my sleepwear, it's nice to know that it has been included - note to self - add the word "performance" to all Etsy listings)

The sliding scale of my pajamas has gotten a little sad - thank you fleece "lounge" pants with bold, blue snowflakes

(and by the way everyone knows no two snowflakes are alike and there are alot of repeat patterns on these pants Old Navy!)

for helping me usher in this new era of "comfortableness".

(what I really want is a snuggie but hubby has threatened to wrap me in it, tag my ear and release me back into the wild if I buy one)

*sigh*

Anyhoo, back to that cute little couple and the conversation that I just so happened to happen upon if you know what I mean. I paid some fast cash so I could stay close enough behind them to hear where this conversation was headed.

"It really is the secret to being happy" she was exclaiming as he began to look a tiny little bit animated, too.

(and by this I mean his head sort of tilted from time to time and his feet shuffled slightly as he walked)

"I am so lucky to have figured this out so young, so I can be really, really happy every single day of my life."

(by now I was almost tripping over her as we walked, trying to stay close enough to hear the twentysomething words of wisdom that I think I may have forgotten somewhere in the last decade or so - if she had glanced my way for even a second I would definitely have knocked her to the ground and demanded to know her "secret" - luckily I was not yet wearing my performance fleece and so might still be able to conjure up a wee bit of intimidation)

"
"Catherine!"

A voice boomed from behind me and I turned to see someone my hubby used to work with almost running toward me. When I turned back my old navy hipsters were gone.

*sigh*

We chatted for a bit about this and that, but nothing important, when she suddenly said, "Damn, I just knew something wonderful was going to happen today!"

(huh?)

"What happened?" I asked, still kind of distractedly looking for that guru/girl with all the answers in my peripheral vision.

"Well, I ran into you, of course" she answered.

I stopped. I focused on her. Her eyes were gray and I almost missed that.

I smiled.

And it was like a giant tumbler clicked into place in my head and my funk lifted a little bit, just a little, but enough to see a little blue sky in that very moment that I had been missing thinking about that next moment - trying to pin down the sure thing that doesn't exist.

We laughed and made plans, that we will probably never keep, to see each other again.

But, somehow that little moment brought me back to center and my funk lifted a little bit and I "got it" - that life in the leap thing, that living in the present moment thing, the ability to survive when that thing that you want so badly could be just a little bit out of reach - that may or may not have been that hipster's aha moment that could save the world, but it did save mine, or at least it did yesterday ...



today print by honeyboo and be happy painting by livingstonandporter