Every once in a while . . . a girl just needs a Dad

They are calling for snow in the Chicagoland area tonight. At approximately 12 o'clock, midnight, we are expected to see a few million white flakes fall from the heavens above. . . and rumor has it they will continue until about 10 am. I've never been one to listen to the weather experts - at least those in Chicago. So I am a bit skeptical.

But others believe we are heading towards the first big snow fall of the season.

Earlier today, I did a little Christmas shopping at one of my favorite places . . . Costco. LOVE my COSTCO! While walking through the store picking up bananas, a bottle of my favorite wine, brand new winter gloves and Christmas tissue paper, I noticed a number of people with new snow shovels in their shopping carts. At first I thought, "Gees . . . worry warts." By the third or forth cart, I thought, "Hmmmm . . . maybe I should check them out. I don't want to miss anything."

So, I headed over to the testosterone aisle full of power washers, packs of 30 shammies and 20 gallon packs of motor oil. There I found two shovels. One, on sale for $19.99, looked like the a good ol'fashioned shovel in a lovely shade of red, just like what I have hanging in my garage at home. The second, for $29.99, looked like some sort of architecture wonder of the world . . . bright yellow in color, with a handle that curved like a pretzel gone terribly wrong.

Of course, I reached for the "pretzel gone wrong" shovel, which was $29.99 . . . because that's what I do. I mean, more expensive obviously means better, right? ;)

I started to act out the whole "shoveling" routine . . . right there in the aisle at Costco. I wanted to get a real good feel for the shovel, and make sure it worked. As I pushed the shovel back and forth, I heard, "You don't need that one. Too expensive. Won't make the job any easier for you." And I turned to see an older gentleman standing there, with a baseball hat on his head and his hands in his coat pockets. "No?" I asked, "You don't think it's worth it?" "No. Not at all," he answered. "Look at it," he said, as he picked up another shovel just like it and started to slide it back and forth on the floor, just as I had done seconds before. "You still have to pick up the snow and drop it, and actually, this design will make it harder to get the snow off," he demonstrated. "Save your money," he said.

"Thanks," I told him, "you're right. I see that now." 

My Dad passed away 8 years ago this month, and not a day goes by that a thought of him doesn't pop into my head. Today, it was at Costco. Because even though I didn't know this man in the shovel aisle . . . I felt for a brief moment like Dad was there with me, telling me to save my money and that this shovel was not what I needed. And that is exactly what I needed right then and there. 

I strongly believe that we are surrounded by angels in life, we just aren't always open to them. Today, I had a visit with one. And for that, I am most grateful.