The windows are clean! Our screens were biting the dust, so off they came. Truly, a house looks prettier without shabby window screens mucking up the scenery. The idea now is to get a couple of new screens fitted for a couple of windows we might want to open in the name of fresh air, but for windows on the side of the house, so as not to mar my new glassy look :)) I completely knocked myself out cleaning, I will say that. You would be proud of me. You would wish I had been cleaning at your house :))

So, the strangest thing happened. I can't make up these things, so here goes. Three people came to clean the windows and the team leader did the inside work. I liked her right away because she had all her clean blue rags hanging from her waist, as in tucked into her shorts all around. It looked like a petal skirt, specifically, like the costume I had to wear in kindergarten when I was a flower in the school pagent, my skirt was the stem and green leaves, I was humiliated to the end, as I've written about previously. This lady's skirt was blue, but definitely petals. I said, I like your skirt (funny how your perspective changes after 44 years). Come to think of it, I should have snapped the Can Can skirt off the tree and we could have had a really fun catwalk. Catwalk, is that the word I want?

Well, we are talking for a lot of the time we are working, my downstairs being so open and all. She was easy to talk to and I felt comfortable with her. I asked, Is it hard to go home and clean your own house, after you clean for other people all day? She said, No, I go home every day and clean something, so I don't get far behind and so I can have my weekends free from housework. Not being able to quell my curiosity, I ask, Give me an example of what you might clean. She said, Well, I might move the furniture out and clean behind it. Good gravy, this woman is a dyed -in-the-wool WORKER. I felt limper (word?) than my dust rag. This vitally impressed me, here is a woman of character and resolve, that dirty word.

I learned that she had moved to FL to be near her daughter, the daughter begging her mother to come. I said, You look like you would still have kids at home, but she said, No, my daughter is 27. Anymore, I don't like to ask people if they have children or if they have more children and other generally nosy questions. But I did, because, after all, I am KEM, I said, Do you have other children?

She said, I had a son, but he died in a car accident at age 14 (see what I mean about asking?). Of course, I just felt terrible for her and terrible that I brought up such a painful reminder. My eyes welled up, but she said she was okay with it. She said it happened 14 years ago (are you keeping track of the 14's?). The first three years after it happened she never wanted to leave her house, she was so utterly devastated. However, she is better after 14 years. She said it happened on December 14th.

Then I felt REALLY STRANGE, kind of frozen to the spot. I said, Oh my goodness, today is December 14th. She looked up at me, confusion crossing her face. No, she countered, today is December 11th. But I kindly said, Yesterday was my daughter's birthday and her birthday is December 13th. I said that without a whole lot of confidence at this point (was DTD really born December 13th and was her birthday really yesterday?). The lady said, Oh my, I've been writing December 11th on all my receipts today. I said, I'll check the calendar, but I'm sure December 11th was Friday.

When I confirmed that today was, indeed, December 14th (glad to know I have somewhat of a grip), she just couldn't get over it. I suggested, Perhaps your mind was blocking this tragic, unfortunate day. She agreed maybe that was it. Her son was in a van, the driver just having gotten his license. It was on a country road in Illinois and the driver swerved to miss another car. The van flipped and her boy was thrown from a window and killed. No other windows were broken and no one else was really hurt (5 kids altogether in that van). Wow. Every parent's worst nightmare, she woke up to it. And it was true.

She went on to say that her daughter asks her mom, Do you ever wonder what he looks like now or what he would be doing? She said, All the time, he would probably be a Marine. It empties your lungs.

When she handed me the bill she was surprised because she had dated it beforehand for the 14th . . . somehow. I asked if I could give her a hug and she said, Sure, hugs are good. I just didn't know what else to do or say, so I gave her a nice tip. Just to cheer her. I'm telling you, I won't ever forget this. So many people have a child predecease them (I told her about my brother killed in a car accident, too, so at least I could relate to her somewhat).

And it's so unforgettable that her son died at 14, 14 years ago today, December 14th, 2009. And she cleaned my windows for me that day, today. You simply can't make these things up. I know this was a God gift -- a sobering one. Not sure why it was dropped in my lap, but I'm grateful. Next time I get the windows cleaned, I will request they send this lady again.

Loving my little girl is 19, thank you, God.

KEM