Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Today I unpacked a bag of hat/scarf/mitten combos–animal ones that are ridiculously cute–that my mother sent me via my sister, who was here (fleetingly) this weekend.  I also unpacked a bag of stuff for me that my sister sent–yay for a cookie scoop!  And a scarf!  And books!  I sent a bag with my sister with books and other random items (at least one of which was for my mother), and then last night I dropped off another bag for her at my aunt’s (with more random items and another book), since my sister-in-law was in town overnight and could take it back to Idaho with her.

I have, waiting to go to my carpool friend, a bag containing clothes that no longer fit my son and a container of hers, now washed, that she gave me yummy leftovers in.  For my friend Britt I have a gift bag with her middle child’s birthday present in it, plus a book that probably needs a bag of its own.  I know for a fact that she’s got at least one item waiting for me at her house, which is likely in a bag already.

Do you know what that means to me?  It means that I’m part of a family–some born, some chosen–of women who think about each other, who set aside things that we know our mothers/sisters/friends might (or definitely do!) want and take what opportunities we have to get them to each other.  Items representing thoughts of one another seem to be in near-constant motion across roads, across miles, and across mountains, on their way to people who want or need or can use them more than we do or can or will.  I can’t seem to access my best writing skills to convey what I want to say, perhaps because–for once–I’m seeing pictures in my head rather than hearing words, and so I think I’ll stop trying for tonight and just reiterate–we are all bag ladies.  And tonight I find myself loving what that means.