when an email or a cake can be a gift

MONDAY'S POST WILL UPDATE YOU ON MINI'S SCHOLARSHIP. ARE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT? 

The night of my birthday (how did SO many things happen on my birthday? during a pandemic even) right before we watched Jim Gaffigan with the fam, I got an email from an elderly man from our church. He and his son Michael, who is special, attend our church. Michael is older than me by a few years. He's very high functioning and incredibly social. In his dad's words, he "was born mentally challenged". He's worked at the same grocery store for like 37 years. 

I don't even remember how we met. I think he approached Curly after mass to say that he liked her hair. Maybe about a year ago? Shortly after we could attend mass in person again while masked. We meet lots of people through 'the hair'. Michael started seeking us out each week to chat with us as we walked to our car after 5:30 pm mass on Saturdays. Turns out he has the same b-day as Reg. Reg texted him on his cave-isolation birthday. 

Michael likes to send cards. He sent Mini a get well card when she had covid. Way back in the fall when he asked Curly what she was up to, I shared Curly's school b-ball game schedule with Michael and his dad. They were excited to come to a game in our home gym that is only a few blocks from our church. 

People, they enjoyed that one game so much that they rarely missed a game for the rest of the season. They even when out of their way to attend her away games. I had to be sure to text them whenever there was a schedule change. I don't think I blogged about it, but Curly's team won every game but the first game when Curly apparently had a touch of the jitters. It was a very exciting season. Our school is small and not known for fielding a great team. Curly and one of her besties scored almost all of their points. 

See what I did here? I gave Curly a
mask that thankfully is more
 intense than what the
 pandemic calls for. 

After every game that Michael and his dad attended, Curly thanked them for coming. Michael had me take a photo of he with Curly after several games. 

Michael sat next to Reg at that first game. We didn't know him very well, other than to chat for a few minutes after church. Afterwards, Curly asked Reg how it went. Did Michael talk to him the entire game or ask too many questions? Was he OK to sit with at a game? Reg said he was fine to sit next to, that he knew the game and was excited each time she scored. I believe Reg said he preferred to sit next to Michael over me, as I cheer too loudly. Guilty as charged.

In that game, the first time Curly drove to the hoop and scored, or hit an outside shot, or something:

Michael:  OH, CURLY IS GOOD AT THIS. GO CURLY!

One of Curly's teammates has some issues. She didn't like a call the ref made. I mean, been there, right? But, most of us can recover after an unfavorable call. For this girl, well - it didn't end well. She refused to back down, hollered at the ref, and had to be escorted from the gym. She marched out while flipping off the entire gym full of people.

Michael's dad (with a chuckle):  WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW GIRLS' BASKETBALL WAS THIS EXCITING. WE'LL HAVE TO COME AND WATCH ANOTHER GAME. 

This loose cannon girl performed similarly at the one game that my in laws attended. Well. That was fun. They are VERY opposed to public school. My kids attended Catholic school for years. I was ready for any snarky comments my in laws might have, because we encountered our fair share of kids with behavior issues at Catholic school too. Fortunately, they said nothing. 

Fun fact:  My anti-vax MIL was the only person in the gym NOT wearing a mask (this was when covid was still a MAJOR concern) and it still irks me that I didn't tell her to go out to her car and get her mask, or send Reg. I assume that she forgot hers in her car. But alas, I kept my masked mouth shut, out of fear that I might join the 'troubled' teen and end up flipping a bird and getting verbal and having people think that 'troubled' was my kid and she'd learned her behavior from me. 

OK, *wipes sweat from brow just thinking about it* getting the post back on track:   right after Christmas, I emailed Michael and his dad links to watch Curly's dancing competition at Thanksgiving, thinking they'd enjoy it. 

His dad emailed me on my birthday to say how much they liked watching her dancing. He didn't realize it was my birthday but he gave me such a nice gift. He wrote (an excerpt):  

I wish to commend your family for the manor in which they exhibit their Christian values, which were acquired from their parents, to my son Michael. (he goes on to describe how he and his deceased wife wanted Michael not to be hidden in a corner and how he ended up becoming so social). Thank you once again for your family's friendship to Michael.

I was so touched by this. So nice of him to recognize my kids this way. It truly doesn't take much to be kind to Michael. He's easy to chat with and interested in everything we do. Still, it does warm my heart to see my kids make the effort with him, and it touches me that his dad appreciates that effort. 

It's the Grinch.

*****

In other 'nice news', when Curly couldn't have her friends over for her birthday right before Christmas because Mini tested positive that morning, her good friend dropped off the cake that she'd made to bring to the cancelled get together. 

Curly was super bummed about not hanging with her friends. I kid you not, she had
JUST said to me, but FRIEND WAS GOING TO MAKE ME A SPECIAL CAKE.
Minutes later:  MOMMY, SHE'S DROPPING OFF THE CAKE SHE MADE FOR ME.  

Sometimes it really is the little things. Am I right? Any little thing moments in your life recently? For your birthday?