several years ago, i had a dream about julie hugging me, smile beaming with love. i woke from that dream in tears at the improbability of it. she hated me with the vicious reckless love of an aunt for her nephew too often wrecked by rotten girlfriends. i understood the purpose of her anger, her distance, her general incivility toward me, but i couldn't understand the depth of it. or her unwillingness to relinquish it. after dave and i had been married for a few years, she began to incrementally thaw toward me. it wasn't until last christmas when i realized she didn't just tolerate me - she loved me. she hugged me (and she's not the hugging type) when i needed comforting. and, just this past week, she (alone) made a point to come to gramma's funeral. unannounced. she shocked me. and, as i walked toward her to hug her, i saw that smile and recognized the dream.
it took years. this gift surpasses all others i have received this season. that smile, that warmth, that acceptance and love that i thought was impossible years ago has finally found fruition. i am in awe of it. and infinitely humbled...
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