Several months ago a friend of mine lost everything in a house fire. It was the most devastating thing a person can go through. Her Daughter, age 12, has had difficulties with losing ALL of HER stuff.

They’ve since cleared the land(and purchased it out right) and purchased a "new to them" manufactured home.

This past week the plumbing and electrical were done and the house put in place. As of Monday there was still no heat but that didn’t stop Cindy from decorating the house. She has gone to the Dollar store and received things from friends, so everything went up. She is picking up the tree this weekend.

Cindy was never one to "go all out" in the decorating department. But since losing everything this past spring, she’s a changed woman. She has decided to decorate and celebrate everything with gusto. I applaud her for that.

I spent a couple of months gathering all the pictures she has sent me over the years. I made(yes made) an album and put all the pictures in it, I including a new born foot print of her Daughter she so sweetly sent met. I also put everything on a memory stick with a note accompanying it requesting she put the memory stick in a safe place...like a bank vault.

Cindy has promised to send me lots of pictures via her cell phone because she hasn’t gotten a new camera(not until she opens one of her gifts...anyway).

Blanche was so much fun to shop for.  Though, I can't replace her things, I can start another collection for her.  Every year since her birth I've sent her a Marie Osmond doll.  I purchased dolls for years but never displayed them.  So, when Blanche was born, I knew who would love them as much as I did.  So one doll, a new outfit and a few recreated home made ornaments she always loved to put up, in addition to a few surprises were sent out and delivered last Monday.

My son asked me why I spent so much money on my friend. She has never spent much on me. My son is 29 years old. I couldn’t understand why he was being so dense. I raised both of my boys and am raising my grandson, to think of others first. To put yourself in "their" shoes.

I’ve decided I’m not going to explain it to him. If he hasn’t GOTTEN it by now...well anyway.