A Rainy Afternoon & One Umbrella's Story

It was raining yesterday afternoon when Kate woke up from her nap. I asked her if she wanted to go outside and splash.

"Please!"

I got busy rounding up her rain coat and cow boots (which live right by the door these days--she loves those things!), and then started looking for that kiddie umbrella of ours. You know, the blue one with Mickey Mouse on it.

There's a story behind that umbrella.

Back in 2001, I was going to be in New York for work during the holiday season. My schedule had me there over a weekend, and it just so happened that Tanna's schedule would allow him (and another friend of his) to be there, too. The funny thing is ... we were just friends at the time. We weren't even dating or even discussing it (at least, not between ourselves).

Tanna and I had seen Les Miserables in Knoxville earlier that year, and we'd both expressed interest in seeing it in New York before the show closed there. If I remember correctly, word on the street was that its Broadway days were numbered.

Well, guess what?! I scored us some tickets on eBay to a Saturday-night show. During the holidays. I think we had something like fourth-row seats! We were so close, we could see the performers' spit. Seriously. It was awesome. (The performance, not the spit.)

Anyway, there was a bit of drama leading up to the show because Tanna was driving up to the city that very day (from D.C., maybe? I can't remember where he'd been). Anyway, he ran into some traffic and was running behind schedule. At one point, he wasn't sure he was going to make it in time. But, thankfully, he did!

Then, on the way to the theater, it started raining. That's when Tanna bought this Mickey Mouse umbrella off of a street vendor. I am pretty sure he bargained down the price, but I can't recall the details. Anyway, we were laughing that we were all dressed up and on our way to see a Broadway show ... with this Mickey Mouse umbrella in tow--but, hey, it was keeping us dry! It did its job and became a fun memory of our time together in New York.

I held onto that umbrella, and it has stayed with me since. Mostly, it was stored in an umbrella basket in the hall closet of whatever apartment or condo I happened to be renting. It lived with me in Boone, North Carolina; moved with me to Charlotte; and then eventually relocated with me to Roswell, Georgia. And the umbrella has shared an Atlanta address with Tanna and me since our 2004 wedding. From time to time, I considered giving the umbrella away or donating it to Goodwill, but I continued to keep it around, not bearing to part with it. I even wondered if one day, perhaps, one of our children might use the umbrella.

And that day finally happened.



Thank You, Lord, for my husband, for fun memories, for rain, and for a daughter who loves to play in puddles.

_______

P.S. Found a pic of us with the umbrella from back in the day ...