Nothing fixes a Bad Day like an Amazing Friend

Today was not the best day. In fact, as I waited in line at the post office today, right before the power went out, I considered naming today "Brittan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." [If you understand the reference you get brownie points from me!]. My mind was just not at a happy point. 

But then I opened this box from Melissa [my neighbor and best friend for the last 15 or so years], which came just on the right day to cheer me up. No... to completely make me jump for joy in pure delight. And because of this 180-degree mood swing that she has prompted, I know I need to publicly thank her. It is not easy to quantify 15 years of friendship or mail-delivery happiness, but here is my attempt by disclosing the items of my box.

32 hair ties ["ligas" in Spanish... I don't know why I remember that]

24 packs of Reese's peanut butter cups [meaning 48 Reese's peanut butter cups!]

4 chili-covered mango lollipops... Mmm Mexican candy, how I have missed you.

1 box of "Crazy Cores" Skittles [wrapped in Winnie the Pooh wrapping paper]

1 pack of Stride gum

10 issues of Seventeen Magazine [for the kids to use for their memory boxes]

4 rolls of Scotch tape

4 sheets of stickers [including American flag stickers, flower stickers and stickers in Spanish]

2 instant bite and sting relief tube things... which I will be using on my spider bite in a few minutes

10 DVDs! Yay!

22 dollars of promised donation to the Umhlaba Wami Photography Project

1 wonderful Christmas/Birthday card in Spanish and English

I promptly shared my Reese's with others in my office, exclaiming "Happy Friday, straight from America!" and they thought the candy was divine. I am just so happy that I have friends and family caring for me back home, whose love seems to come with perfect timing. Unfortunately my mother's package that was supposed to arrive 2 months ago was eaten up by the African Mail Monster it seems, but I know it would have been great... and considering that Melissa has been my neighbor for over 1.5 decades, I know some of my mother's love is included!