Close To Me

I was at the flower shop the other day, ordering a large arrangement for a funeral.  I had tried to get to the shop earlier in the day, when Trent could watch the little people, but things don't always work out like I want them to.  That's pretty much a general rule for  me.  Anyway,  I had to take Angel and the twins on errands eith me.  They are getting older and and listen better than they used to.  We usually have a pretty good time together on our outings.

Before we went in the flower shop, we had a pep talk.  It was the standard "put your hands in your pockets and look but don't touch" lecture.  Oh, there were so many fun things to look at!  They loved the smell.  They loved the roses behind the glass doors.  They loved the vases full of bright blooms.  They loved the cheerful tulips and daffodils.   The store seemed to be full of excited but muted "Oh!  C'mere and look at this!"  And not touching.  I was so proud of them.

I finished up my order and folded the receipt into my wallet.  My little sweeties were quietly admiring a bookshelf display of Willow Tree statues.  Just as I got to them, Angel flung her hand out to point out to me the statue she loved most.   Her hand hit the front of the flimsy shelf, flipping it up and sending the backmost statue flying into the air.  I watched in slow motion, wanting to close my eyes and hide, as the statue of two embracing figures slowly crashed to the ground.  It split into large chunks, sending one figure under the shelves and half of the other skittering across the floor.  Broke up that little romance pretty thoroughly, didn't we?  It took all of us and the store manager several minutes to find the head that had popped off.

I sheepishly paid for the statue, stuffed it into the box and gathered up my now-quiet twins and the daughter from her time-out on the door mat.  They -especially she - got a learning moment (doesn't that sound nicer than a dressing down and a lecture?) and I pulled out the glue. 

Hopefully it would stick back together decently, without too many missing pieces and ugly cracks.  I actually do like these statues, even though I was certainly not planning on buying one today!  It wasn't until I got all the pieces firmly glued back together that I realized what the statue was. 

The figurine depicted a tender embrace between a mother and her daughter.  In all that excitement, it was the mother who had lost her head.

Just like me.  I nearly lost my head over an accident, although expensive and careless, which was not worth permanently damaging a loving relationship. 

The piece is mended and sturdy now, but I can still see the hairline cracks.  I like them.  They remind me of how fragile a relationship can be if I don't treat it carefully.   And they remind me that mistakes can be fixed.  There is one piece I never did find - a little chip in the middle, between the mother and the daughter.  

Interestingly enough, it forms the shape of a heart that never would have been there if they had been perfect.

On the box it says, "Apart or together, always close to me."   Perfectly imperfect, just like how I will always love my daughter.