Monday, September 24, 2007

The Magic Bag of Happiness

Don't be alarmed but if you look at the picture to the right you will actually be looking at
"The Magic Bag of Happiness." That's right folks...it's here...
and it's real. On the day of my 51st birthday my grandson James was concerned that there were no balloons, no plans for a party, no games, not near enough presents and we were just having a lousy old dinner to celebrate my aging event. So while I enjoyed myself outside on the hammock with a cross word puzzle - the better to allow all the cooks in the house to whip up a feast - James came out several times chatting with me, in his very articulate and grown-up syntax, explaing that he was gravely worried that my birthday was a bust. (He just didn't understand that for a woman that has cooked dinners for all of her life, a good dinner prepared by "qualified" hands other than her own, is a marvelous present.) But back to the magic bag...after a goodly while James comes out cradling, as if a treasured baby bird, "The Magic Bag of Happiness." Now, so you have some background...this bag is very familiar to me. It is a bag containing a child's game called "Rush Hour Jr," which includes plastic cards, a small grid, and playing cards - hence - my puzzlement in why he's gently cradling it.

"Grammy, this is "The Magic Bag of Happiness" and when you choose one of the pieces inside, it will give you whatever you need to make you happy." James senses my skepticism, "Now if you touch a car...it's not really a car, and if you touch a card...it's not really a card." Wow, this is getting really trippy ---"No, Grammy, it's just something to hold onto. It's grabbing it out of the bag, THIS bag that makes it magic." Looking into those sparkling and earnest blue eyes, who was I to doubt? Magic? Happiness? He's right. I have it everyday. All I have to do is stop, really look, believe, and reach - ahhhh, a hug from my James (or
Chase) - yup, it's all around me.

6 comments:

Michelle said...

Aunt Catherine I think you have a beautiful soul and i love you and your family very, very much!!

Ann said...

i need to take more advantage of my 'magic bag of happiness'! and stop picking out of the 'magic bag of finding things wrong with the world'. the first is so much better!!

For now said...

is this a true story? it is the most adorable thing i have ever heard!

love the side pictures!

Anonymous said...

James is amazing! and so are you!! (do you think we could market that bag?)

Anonymous said...

I hope that you had a wonderful dinner on your big day. It truly is a pleasure and joy to be pampered on. I miss you guys and think we'll just have to plan a trip to come visit.

Lane said...

I love this story! You and James are a great combo.