Follow-through

I try to avoid saying things like "I'll call you" or "Oh, you should come by sometime" without figuring out when it can happen. Otherwise it feels a little wishy-washy and both people know that it isn't likely to occur any time soon. I love it when people do follow through on what they say, especially little stuff that it really doesn't matter hugely if it happens or not.

Twice while watching my friend's yarn shop, this has happened. Once was last spring when I was pregnant with Timothy. An elderly lady came in and was telling me about a pattern for tube socks that she had--socks, she assured me, that would stay on a baby's foot. She told me she'd come in again and bring me the pattern. Sure enough, the next day, in comes the lady with a photocopy of the sock pattern.

A couple weeks ago, it came up in conversation with another lady that I am a French teacher. She was so excited and said that just that morning she had come upon a balloon with a note attached that was written in French. She came in the next day with the note and I translated it for her--it was the birthday balloon of a little 1 year old named Manuel. There was an email address, and Marcia was going to respond and told me she'd let me know what came of it. I just got a call from her telling me that she got an email back with a picture of this little boy and she offered to come over to the house just to show me!

It reaffirms my desire to always be true to my word, even with the littlest things. Just now, I feel like there is something I am forgetting--like getting a recipe or pattern to someone or writing one last thank you note. I hate that I sometimes let too much time go by and then I can't remember what exactly it was I meant to do. It is such a nice feeling on both sides when the follow-through actually happens.