Matthew, my friend Mark's brother, recently got married. I decided to make a cross-stitch picture for Matthew and his new wife (and my new friend - and goddaughter!) Lindsay to commemorate their wedding date. The picture took me a bit longer to finish than I'd expected, but when I sent it to be framed, I was told that it would be done the Saturday before the wedding. I was pretty surprised, because I had envisioned picking it up at the last minute, or even after the wedding, but the framer even chastized me, "It's getting pretty close, you know!".

I didn't get a call over the weekend, but I was driving past at about five minutes to closing on the Monday before the wedding and thought I would stop in, thinking that the framer had probably called and left a message at my apartment while I was at work.

BUT ...

When I asked if the picture was ready, the woman at the gallery said it was not. "I haven't been doing anything. My dad pased away last Thursday, and I am still trying to get my head around that ... but I am going to do it".

I backed out apologetically, and gave an excuse about being at the gas station kitty corner to the framer. I casually told her, "Call me when it's ready!".

BUT ...

I was thinking, "Why is it every time I call someone on something it turns out to be a situation like THIS!?!"

AND ...

I really wanted to ask, "Is it still going to get done on time? Are you planning to prioritize it? It is date sensitive. It has the date right on it. You know the wedding is in five days, right? I mean, I'm sorry your dad died, but ... please get it done! Even just by Saturday morning! I HAVE COUNSELLING SKILLS!!! I CAN HELP YOU PROCESS YOUR GRIEF!!!"

I wanted to say those things, but that's rude, right? Her dad just died and here I am, thinking, "Why do bad things always happen to me ...".

THEN ...

I went home, made supper, and start watching a Dane Cook comedy special. His first segment was about how he lies to people right to their face all the time.



AND ...

I started to doubt her!

"Did her dad even die!?!? She didn't seem sad at all. How easy would that be? I bet she says that all the time! Who would ever question that? WELL ... her dad DAMN WELL BETTER HAVE DIED!"

AND ...

Even if he didn't die, couldn't someone else have done it? What kind of a BUSINESS is she RUNNING where all the employees are RELATED to HER and HER DAD?!?!"

THEN ...

"Oh ... that is so mean. You don't know her! Maybe she doesn't like to show her feelings. Maybe she hated her dad and that's why she smiled sweetly when she told you he died. You smile a lot. Would you want people to judge you? Don't be such a hater".

Every day, I would come home from work, check the answering machine, and walk away whispering curse words to myself. I finally went back the day before the wedding. As soon as I walked in, she said, "Hi ... I'm not quite there yet".

Deciding that her mourning period was over, at least as far as my picture and I were concerned, I firmly asked her, "Do you think it will be done by closing tomorrow?"

"It will be done by opening tomorrow!" she declared, and asked me my name ... which no doubt means she hadn't even started it yet!

SO ...

Like a fool ... I believed her, and returned in the morning, as I was on my way to the church to let the baker in with the wedding cake.

As soon as I walked in the shop, she looked up and said, "Can I deliver it?"

My reply?

"WHAT?!?!"

On the table lay the cross-stitch ... as far as I could see, the same as the day I had brought it in. She said she needed "another hour", and I told her I would come back between the ceremony and the reception.

AND ...

When I did, she was finally finished.

BUT ...

As I looked it over, I noticed a wayward thread in the upper left hand corner. When I asked her about it, and she said that after she had stretched it, she hadn't been able to get that one thread to lay flat. However, the couple could bring it back to her, and she would take it apart and stretch it again ... which I wasn't sure would be free ... or done before their 25th anniversary.

I commented, "I was trying a new technique on the border I have never done before".

COUCHING: couching is used on some advanced cross-stitch patterns. When couching a floss, ribbon, or cording, the item is laid on top of the fabric and tacked down with tiny stitches.

She said, "Well, you did an excellent job ... except for right there".

I bit my lip to avoid saying, "Same to you ..."

I paid the bill, and left with more than enough time to wrap my present and get to the reception.


I think "Dad" would have wanted it that way.