Untie the Ribbons

There is a restaurant in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, MX that was a favorite of ours for many years. For anyone who came to visit us in Why, AZ there was almost always a trip to this small fishing village on the Sea of Cortez and that included a dinner at Del Capitan. It is located high on a hillside, up a very steep dirt road adjacent to a lighthouse. From the dining patio you could enjoy beautiful sunsets and then after sundown see the lights of the Baja peninsula which were visible across the gulf.

The first time we went to the Del Capitan I noticed a print on the wall in the Senora's bano with the words

Every new day offers many gifts.

Untie the ribbons.

For some reason this quote moved me. I took out my checkbook and wrote it down in the back of the register. For many years whenever I changed registers I would always write it down in the new one.

Last week while in The Big City to the South I found the exact same framed print in my favorite treasure store. The words on the print still have the same effect on me thirteen years after the first time I saw it. For now I'm not sure where I will hang it but I know that it needs to be somewhere that I see it every day to remind me that I have many gifts and should be untying those ribbons every day.

The greatest gift I have is my family. Last night there were twenty of those gifts all crowded in my kitchen and great room eating our favorite meatballs and funeral potatoes. It was total chaos. And I loved it. The squeals of the kids and the laughter of the adults was everywhere. I untied a hug from each one of them.

As we head into the next few weeks of challenges it is comforting to know that we have lots of support from everyone around us. These gifts are priceless.

Thank you all.

$.54

P.S. Yes, Jubee, this is the restaurant where the mariachis sang Feliz Cumpleanos to a surprised you while the other "little girl with dark hair" at the next table looked on with disbelief.