Some friends of mine in the USA I'll call Clark and Cathy came down here last year where I've retired in Mexico.  They met my Mexican s/o I'll call Susan here and her 3 teenaged kids I'll call Dougie, Karen, and Larry.   For anonymity, those aren't their real names but they are very real people.

 

 

Clark and Cathy made a really good impression on Dougie, Karen, and Larry.  It was so good that 3 weeks ago or so Karen said she wished Clark and Cathy would just moved down from the USA to live nearby here in Mexico.

 

 

I reported Karen's comment to Clark and Cathy, and that kicked off a love fest.  Cathy and Clark decided they wanted to give the kids each a gift they'd send down by FedEx.

 

 

They asked me what each individual kid would like the most.  Larry is in special ed, so though he's a teen I've seen him play with GI Joes, we agreed on sending him an action figure.  Karen is a lovely young lady so we settled on a cosmetics kit for her.  Dani is on a neighborhood youth soccer team, so a soccer-related item it would be for him.

 

 

Lots of logistical planning followed as to the address for delivery, phone number, and all kinds of other details.  Larry's action figure had to be ordered, and Karen's cosmetics kit seems to have posed some problem for US Customs somehow.  Larry's toy arrived, though, and Customs was placated for Karen's gift, while Dougie's was already in hand.

 

 

For the past few days I've been biting my tongue every day to keep from telling the kids what a big surprise was in store for them.  FedEx delivered the package yesterday. 

 

Then Susan and I had to figure out how to get the kids into my living room to surprise them.

 

We made up a story saying we wanted to watch a very special movie with them on Netflix, a movie with something for the whole family.  That's how the kids came over to my apartment without suspecting.

 

 

It went SO perfectly it ws like Christmas but better because Christmas is no surprise but this totally was.  The occasion of the kids' opening their presents was terrific, it couldn't have gone better.  When he opened the package, Larry literally started kissing his action figure toy.  At first Dougie did his usual middle school poker face about the stainless steel insulated soccer themed water bottle he got.  But then he got excited when he noted that it keeps things for cold 36 hours and hot for 18 and will not leak in his school backpack no matter what.

 

 

The kicker though was my Karen and how SHE reacted to her surprise gift of a cosmetics kit.  Karen has painted her mom Susan's toenails today as she was totally charmed by her gift.

 

 

It has been a great day.  After the kids opened their presents they went on my smartphone and sent voice messages in Spanish to Clark and Cathy via WhatsApp.  Even if they weren't messages in English and Clark and Cathy aren't fluent in Spanish, a child's happy voice speaks a universal language.  Those were some really heart melting voicemails of gratitude from those kids, that's for sure.

 

As I said, I've had a tough time lately with my PTSD and my CKD that came from PTSD meds.  I really thank you for supporting me through these last 2 months of nerve pain such that it put me in a wheel chair. and triggered lost of PTSD flashbacks for me.  Now I wanted to give something back by way of happiness.  Happiness does happen, y'all.  I had it right here in my living room today.

 

 

Be well, everybody.