Unexpected Gifts

Happy New Year!

It is midnight and Steven and I are both awake! It is a miracle. We went to sleep with the kids hours ago, but somehow managed to wake up in time for the actual stroke of midnight.

I can't stop thinking of a strange and wondrous thing that happened this evening. We had spent most of the day at home. Steven working on Melese's cake.

We managed to take a 'tiny train' (a tram actually) to see some clear views, and lovely pieces like, 'Tiny Man Broken'. (Melese's new favorite adjective is, obviously, tiny). I was cold and crabby, and sure that Meazi was going to knock something over in one of the very crowded galleries. We had planned to go downtown to one of our favorite restaurants, but the kids seemed dangerously close to meltdown mode. We chose a place closer to home.

Low blood sugar Meazi just needed some lasagna to return her to her adorable daughter status. We ate and ate, bread, salad, and pasta. The waiters brought Steven a slice of cheesecake with a faulty candle. We all sang Happy Birthday to Steven. We were getting ready to leave. The waiter brought over the bill and said that a man at another table had paid for our dinner. The person was no longer in the restaurant.

I remember seeing a man and two women. They were probably in their fifties. I didn't really ever make eye contact with them. Melese had been very exuberant throughout the meal. He yelled, "YUMMY!" when the waiter brought him his penne with butter. Meazi had been crying at the beginning of the meal ( she was hungry, and tired). I had picked her up and taken her into the next room for a hug and a talk. The kids were surprisingly well behaved for the entire meal.

At first I thought, how cool, that guy bought our dinner because it was Steven's Birthday. That is so nice! What we realized later is that that trio was long gone when the cake came out. They didn't know it was his birthday. They just bought our dinner. Unheard of. Steven's next theory was that they must have been from Wisconsin (Wisconsin is playing in the Rose Bowl here tomorrow). We all know how nice people from Wisconsin are. They weren't wearing red though, and they didn't seem like they were from out of town.

We will never know. Maybe they have Ethiopian grandchildren? Maybe they always wanted to adopt? Maybe Melese's enthusiasm for cheese charmed them?

I hope your new year is filled with unexpected gifts like this one. Amazing.