I have a friend named Kenny. He is an excellent bass guitarist and a wonderful person and for the past year, has been dating a nice woman named Diane. Kenny and Diane decided to celebrate their one year anniversary by hosting a party and inviting their friends. The party was held pool side, with the ocean in close proximity, and was attended by many well wishers. Unbeknownst to Kenny and Diane, their 1 year anniversary was on the same day as my mother’s birthday; not just any birthday, for that matter. The date of their anniversary and celebration was April 3, 2016, the 100th anniversary of Mom’s birth on April 3, 1916. The opportunity to celebrate their happy occasion was perfect, not only for them, but for me, as a way to pay tribute to Mom. Although, as things turned out, this day was the day after David and I had to say goodbye to our darling cat, Gizmo, whom we lost due to an inoperable tumor, we attended the party to honor Diane and Kenny’s special day and to take our mind off our sadness. As an aside, Mom’s favorite cake was from Mason’s Bakery, a family owned bakery in Fort Myers. Her favorite cake was a “fruit basket” cake, a white cake with fresh fruit between each layer, topped with whipped cream instead of frosting. There were numerous delectable goodies at the anniversary celebration, including, as the astute reader will have probably guessed, a fruit basket cake that looked and tasted just like Mom’s favorite confection! I can’t explain why these events came together like they did, but I’m glad I attended the party, if only to enjoy Mom’s favorite cake on the 100th anniversary of her birth!
Leola lived to the age of 93, but she seems to be around still when some of these strange occurrences happen. As this series has illustrated, timing is sometimes unbelievable. And, sometimes, getting on with things after a difficult or sad event pays unanticipated dividends that make the unrelated seem related. So, once again, events converged as we tasted a celebration cake and Melissa quickly made the connection. It would have been easy to skip the anniversary party given our state of mind having lost Gizmo the day before, and being tired from our out of town guests, but in going to the party, a connection was made that was uplifting, not to mention tasty! One never knows when life will give you such a serendipitous moment, so recognizing them when they occur sometimes takes one by surprise. This one did, but it gave us a much needed boost.
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