The Purse

I'm not sure of the exact date it first started or even why it started, but every year or two my sister would send me a purse. After she sent me the first one, she called to let me know something was on its way. Her exact words escape me, but she said something like "I saw this... I thought it looked like you and I wanted you to have it."

My sister and I are different in many ways, but for some reason she has a knack for picking out the perfect purse for me. I was always delighted with each purse and grateful to her for giving me something which she had chosen especially for me. The icing on the cake were all the compliments I received when carrying one of these purses. With each compliment I said, "Thank you, my sister gave it to me." Most of the comments were, "Wow, you must have a nice sister?" To which I responded, "Yes, I do."

Early this spring I was feeling the need to get a new purse and started shopping for one. I shopped and shopped and just couldn't find the right one (or should I say, the one that fit my champagne taste, but Boones Farm budget). I thought about my sister and how she always picks just the right one out for me. I selfishly picked up the phone and called her. When she answered the phone, I said I had a mission for her, should she choose to accept it. She asked what that would be. I went on to tell her that I would like for her to pick out a purse for me. I told her that I wanted to pay for the purse and the shipping, but I wanted her to choose the purse because she had a talent for selecting the perfect one. To my surprise, she was delighted to take on the task to find just the right purse and send it my way.
A week later my sister called and said she had found the purse and was putting it in the mail. I could hear the excitement in her voice, she was so happy that I had selected her to choose a purse for me. She told me it was perfect and she knew it was the right one for me when she saw it. She said it was a designer purse and it was pink.
Now, I have never owned a pink purse in my entire life and I tend to dress on the conservative side, but I knew instantly that this was the perfect purse for me. The truth was it didn't matter, what the purse looked like, I trusted that she bought this with her heart and that is what made it perfect. I knew I would love it because she had carefully and thoughtfully chosen it just for me. In that moment, this gift became so much more than just a purse. It became a trust, a bond and an opening of my heart.
My sister went on to say how much it meant to her that I called her to pick out a purse for me (and I thought I was being selfish). She said she loved doing it and wanted me to promise to just wear it through the summer and then she would select another one for the fall. She also said that she would not take any money for it or the shipping because she wanted to do this for me. I had no idea that asking her to accept this request would bring her so much joy and such a feeling of validation. This purse had become so much more than just a purse, it had become a gift of love.
When the package came in the mail, I called my sister and opened it. It was the perfect purse!
I proudly wear this purse and everyday I carry a part of my sister with me. This purse is a representation of what matters to me and all that I cherish.
Just the other day, someone complimented me on my purse. I smiled and said, "Thank you, my sister gave it to me." It is truly one of the best gifts I have ever received.