Humming softly under her breath, Belle opened the large doors that led down to the mailroom. She happily skipped down the stairs as she took a bite into her apple. The resounding crunch filled the air and she giggled quietly hoping no one had heard her. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flew into her head. At the next landing she hopped up on the rail and executed a perfect flight down the stairs. Grinning, she burst through the next set of doors that opened to the mailboxes. Belle was presently surprised to see two little red pieces of paper signifying two packages. Her mind immediately came up with a hundred different guesses at what the two boxes could be. She hastily through the two red strips down on the counter and told the person at the counter. She watched with growing anticipation as he made his way over to her bin. Bursting with curiosity, she held her breath as he slowly reached in and pulled out two medium sized boxes.

She hastily signed her name, and tucked the boxes under her arm. Bursting out the doors she raced up the stairs, out into the hall, and then another set of stairs into the warm sunlight. Then she went bounding down another set of stairs. As she regained her composure, she took the time to look at the two boxes. Her heart sank. Vitamins. It was then that she had remembered her mom calling to tell her that a shipment of supplements would be coming Belle’s way. That had been a week ago. Sighing, Belle slowed to a normal pace, and as so often was the case when she was disappointed, her mind began to wander to much more fantastical things. It was a matter of mere minutes till she was once again in her room. She thought she might as well open the boxes so she could throw out the cardboard.

Cutting into revealed one large white bottle with a gold label. Amino acid supplements. She tucked the bottle into the black little box she kept on the top shelf. The large white bottle found its way to the large blue bottle and they happily snuggled close. As Belle cut into the next box, to her surprise, little bits of green paper began poking through the cracks. She slowly and carefully cut down the middle. When she pulled back the cardboard flaps she nearly jumped out of her set with excitement.

There, buried under fake grass, were about a dozen Easter eggs, Clementines, a box of goldfish and two brightly wrapped packages. She squealed in delight as she opened first one egg then another. She carefully lifted out the first package so as not to spill the contents of the box. She felt its sides gingerly and tried to guess what it was. A book, that’s for sure. But what book? She tried to think over past conversations she had had with her mother. Perhaps a Tim Keller book? She slowly peeled back the pink and blue and white and yellow striped paper. Again, her heart swelled and a huge smile broke out across her face. The Valley of Vision. It felt like Christmas. Who knew getting a box could bring so much joy to my day.

Thank you so much to my amazing family.

I love you ferociously. 

Have a fantastic Easter.