The Gift

40. That's how old I am going to turn on Sunday. Tomorrow. I was going to be 40, tomorrow. I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't see any lines or wrinkles to confirm that. I always made it a point to celebrate my birthday every year, because to me life is a blessing and we should always embrace it.

However this year was going to be different. This will be my first year without my grandmother. I admired her so much. She always had the best advice and the greatest stories. I never wanted it to end. Plus her food was always amazing.

She passed away last week and I have yet to go through her things. I was hoping that it was a lie. That I would get a call saying that she was in the hospital recovering. Or that she would walk in through the front door and tell me that everything was ok. But I knew that the call would never be made. I was old enough to know that she wasn't coming back. I knew I had to go through her things one day. I decided to wait until after my birthday to tackle it.

Another day wouldn't hurt. Besides I was her only family. My parents had died when I was young and she had raised me on her own until I had kids of my own. They all grew up and are attending college. It's just me again in this house. I walk into the bedroom and go into the closet, grab a box and start going through gifts she had given throughout my life.

A crystal ball, a music box, an ornament, shoes, clothes, books and so much more. She knew me so well. I kept everything she gave me just so I could remember her when she was gone. I just didn't think it would happen so soon. As I grab the other box of stuff, the doorbell rings.

I put the box on the bed and walk down the hallway to the door. I look through the peephole and don't see anyone. With the chain on the door, I open the door just an inch. On the floor, is a box with a big red bow on it.

I open the door and grab the box and walk to the living room to open it. I stop myself though as all these questions started going through my mind. Who could have sent me a gift? And why did it get here today and not tomorrow? I had too many questions that opening the gift could probably answer.

I open the box carefully removing the red bow and pulling on the ribbons. The box makes a pop sound, opens apart, with confetti all over and in the middle a little black book, pops up from it. Trying to calm down from the heart attack I almost got from that scare, I carefully pick up the little black book, afraid it would set off something else.

Nothing else went off on the box and I was able to place the little black book on my palm. I open the book and realize it is a journal with dates that went all the way back to 1939. I realize as I read that it was a diary. My grandmother's diary. As I sift through the pages, I come across an envelope.

I open the envelope to find $20,000. The cash looked new though and I was curious now how this money got into this book. I mean we already had the money for the funeral. Grandma made sure that I wouldn't have to use any of my own.

I sift through the pages again and come across a note "Dear Eliza, If you are reading this, this means that I have gone with the angels that we always talked about when you were a child. I don't want you to be sad. I also want to make sure that you are good, so I placed $20,000 in this book and mailed it to you. I have faith that it reached you. Happy birthday bug. I love you forever and always. Nane M." It was dated tomorrow.