"I pray every day that God will watch over you"

grandaddy died in 2000. before that he was my constant inspiration for creativity, and care for fellow humans.

tonight, while looking for something as mundane as new checks in one of my many "supplies" drawers, i came across a card that he wrote me sometime in the 80s. he told me of his selling 175 leather belts, plus some watch bands, purses, and stone jewelry that he had made. he told me, "Lou, hobbies can be profitable. Keep making jewelry. If you keep working hard, you can have anything you want, and do anything you want."

then he wrote me, "I pray every day for God to watch over you."

i lost it. tears poured out of my eyes and i kissed the card, and i said out loud to him, "I am being watched over. Every day." and i listened for his voice, the way i do for him, my grandmama and now bio-dad. and i heard his voice, the way it used to sound, not like the way it did towards the end. and i told him again, "I am being watched over."

then i went downstairs, poured a glass of two buck chuck and went on the deck for a smoke. that's when guy called. he said, "i'm coming up the hill, are you home?" and then he arrived and yelled to me up at the deck, "i have great news!"

and then he sat down and told me that his boss just gave us our wedding present of $2000 to spend on airline tickets so we can go anywhere we want on our honeymoon. guy's eyes were red. i said, Are you crying? Were you crying? he said, Yes, because I am so happy.

and then, as we sat on our beautiful deck overlooking the beautiful marin hills, in front of our beautiful house, i said again to my grandaddy, I Am Being Watched Over. I Am.

and i told guy, See? I knew when we joined forces it would be explosive.