Yesterday I gifted myself with good company that made me feel young again.

My oldest and his girlfriend invited me to go out to eat and shopping with them. It was a long drive, but a beautiful one.





They had never experienced eating lunch at Publix before and for the rest of the day he wouldn’t stop talking about the awesomeness of it.





After that I found my love in flowers and little treasures along the way.






I helped her pick out a couple of holiday dresses and accessories to accompany them, something I didn’t even know I had in me as a boy mom, but balanced it out by trying on sunglasses with my son and pointing out things to embarrass him.


I took this over to his girlfriend and said, “How us women get when Henry Cavill pops up on the screen.”
I heard my son yell across the way, “…Mom!”




A stop for coffee…a peppermint hot chocolate for me…and spotted the saddest little corner in the enter mall that was trying its best to be cheerful 🥺




Leaving as traffic really picked up brought an array of lights.







It was an incredible day that was filled with so much more than what was captured. Like homemade cannolis. A long line to see Santa that took me back 25 years in time. The equally long line at the Target self checkout that took me back 20 years in time when I worked at one in the electronics department during the holidays. The adorable reindeer mug I had to buy because it was giving me puppy dog eyes and at that moment all I could hear was Sarah McLachlan singing. The “I gotchu, girl” dose of whipped cream the barista put on my hot chocolate. The wrinkles around my son’s eyes in the rear view mirror when we’d crack up over something stupid. The hidden awe on my face when I heard him say, “I love having a day with my girls.”



He didn’t know how much I needed yesterday. But maybe he did because it was the best Christmas gift he could’ve given me.