A Christmas Story - full Circle

This "Mothers Love" ring by James Avery was given to me for Christmas from Kelsey and Brett.  It is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received, but it wasn't just the gift itself,  it's the words they wrote in the card, the meaning behind the ring and then the magic that happened when I posted a picture of it on facebook.

Jeni, Mary, Chistie, Kelsey 

 

It's an amazing story... a full circle with this ring.  It goes something like this:  The kids gave it to me,  I posted a picture of it on facebook and then Mary's friend Christie saw it and emailed me a copy of her wearing the exact same ring - she said Mary had given it to her when she had visited with her  just months before she passed away, Mary had told her it was a special ring and it was for great moms. Christie said she felt like Kelsey should have the ring that once belonged to her mom. She mailed it to her immediately, along with some pictures and a little memorabilia work out watch Mary used when she coached Christie.

So now Kelsey and I share this "Mother's Love" ring ~ another James Avery connection we both have with her mom!  Just beautiful ~ magical!

Well.... there's actually another lil sparkle to this story:  the ring Mary had and gave to Christie was actually given to Mary by her BFF since Jr. High, Kerri!  We know this because of the engraving inside the ring which read: ."Luv Ker BFF"
Just wait until Kerri finds out what this beautiful gift she gave to Mary years ago and how it has brought such magic to our Christmas this year!  

I will cherish the words Brett & Kelsey wrote in this card like a treasure:

I'm so grateful for so much love and so many connections to Mary I have in my life.  It is such a blessing to be so connected.  True gifts in my life!  Thank you Christie AND Kerri for your love and memories of our Mary!

Thoughts become Things... Christie appears!

Saturday afternoon I had a thought, "I haven't had a Mary friend reach out to me in a while!" ~ then I had a feeling that I would hear from someone soon.....

Soon it was! Less than an hour later! Christie, also known as "Chris Coss" to Mary and the kids. Mary and Christie became the best of friends while Mary was a teacher and swim coach in Nederland. Mary was a positive influence in Christie's life and left many wonderful memories. Memories she has been happy to share with me and now with you. Together we have been able to reflect on how much she meant to both of us because of who she was ~ a beautiful soul on earth.

I'd like to share some Christie's words (& pictures) here in my Mary "Memories to Cherish":

"....I think of my many memories with Mary "Coach" I can't help myself but to cry still to this day....how full of life and amazingly beautiful she really was as a person...a blessing to me and everyone else..."

"....she was helping people, probably teaching overweight women how to get a hold of their lives and eat healthy/workout. She probably helped people who were having a bad day or talked to the outcast...that was the Mary I knew and I know that she would do that no matter what. "

"....Mary (Coach), Mary M., and I we were all best friends -they were my world in Nederland."

"...overall I feel at peace knowing that she is still alive in all of our hearts.....Sometimes I will be doing something like bathing my kids and a memory out of the blue will come and I won't be able to stop thinking about it or a lot of times when we travel to different places i think of her and feel that she is with us seeing the world."

"....I loved to see the pictures of Kelsey and Brett while getting little updates... Mary would be so proud of them... they are both turning into wonderful young adults...That girl is something else. I would love to somehow read her book she wrote "Life after Leaving" I am not sure if I could or if there are any more but it would be neat. I am so proud of her and Brett too they seem to be doing so well."
Keep Blogging and stay in touch
Christie

I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me to have these memories shared with me! Thank you for caring enough to share ~ I know Mary is with us all ~ all of us who love her..... you all are the reason I have this blog.

LOVING MARY FOREVER