The Desk

I wanted to write a little bit about the story that I just got the acceptance letter for, “Faith In The Moonlight.”
But before I can write about what inspired the characters I have to give some back story about the amazing guy I am marrying, the awesome family I will gain and one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received.

In the past years I’ve posted repeatedly about the awful gift giving that happens with my family. Also, I’ve posted a few times that my family are not very supportive with my artistic endeavors. So when I started to learn more about my future husband and his family, I was shocked by a lot of things but one of the major ones is gift giving.
They don’t worrying about keeping things even when it comes to gift giving, instead they worry about whether or not you’ll like it. In my family, if I get a crappy t-shirt, my sister is getting a crappy t-shirt too. In his family, they think of something you would like and they get it for you even if cost $5 more than what your sibling is receiving. Also, my family believes if I buy you something for $20 you better buy me something for $20. And don’t even think about a used gift, that’s just ridiculous! And who cares if you even like your gift? It’s the thought that counts.

Anyway, I have mentioned to them a few times that I write, but I don’t get into a lot of detail because I haven’t really been that successful with it. But last fall we moved into our new rental house and the future in-laws noticed that my office was pretty empty. I mentioned that I’d like to get a writing desk. (Yes, I have a computer desk but why I prefer the writing desk is another post itself.)

Three months later future husband and I go to their house to get a Christmas tree and the future in-laws are acting really suspicious but we never figured out why. A few weeks later, on Christmas day, I go to their house and noticed a large mass covered with a sheet
Later that day I was given a chair with a bow and was escorted to the large, sheet covered object. Then I was presented with my Christmas present, a vintage writing desk.
I was floored. It’s a beautiful desk and the thought behind the gift was unreal to me. A gift picked just for me and to encourage me to follow my dreams. I haven’t had a lot of gifts like that and I was amazed!

I would come to find out later that a few months back their neighbor had died and the week we came for the Christmas tree was the week they were having an estate sale at the neighbors house. They went to the sale because they really liked their neighbor and they just wanted something to remember her by. (Apparently, she was quite a spunky gal.) They saw the desk but it was priced more than they could afford. But a few hours before we came for the tree a man pulled into their sales lot and needed to buy a tree. They weren’t open yet so they were going to turn him away, but they are way too nice to ever do that. And this guy started talking about how he was at the estate sale and they had slashed the prices on everything. They ran down the road and got the desk into the house minutes before we got there.
They insisted that luck was on their side when it came to getting that desk and I believe them.

Next post: The inspiration for “Faith In the Moonlight”