another birthday note!

How did I leave this part out of my birthday post?

For my birthday, Joe gave me a gift card for a local day spa! I definitely did not see this coming. I had a lot of reactions all at once - I've never been to a spa before. I've only had one manicure in the states, and Joe had set that up as a surprise, too. That was over 6 years ago. I did get a manicure and pedicure in Bangkok after about 5 weeks of grime had built up on my sandal-clad feet, but I don't think it was the same as what you'd get here. I've never had a massage or any other sort of spa-treatment.

As I flipped through the brochure of services available, I kept being amazed that I was actually going to get some of this done for me (Joe had made the amount high enough that I'd have to chose more than one thing)! At first the thought ran though my mind that I didn't deserve any of the pampering - that I shouldn't accept something so extravagant (yes, in my mind even a manicure is extravagant). Then I felt overwhelmed with the fact that Joe had chosen it for me, he had found me worthy, so I AM worthy of it. What a wonderful feeling that is - a totally unexpected part of Joe's gift, and I believe a reflection of the way we have to accept God's gifts of righteousness and worthiness.

This part is just for fun... That night I had a dream that I was using the gift card. In the dream I could choose to have someone come to my home instead of me going there. I chose to do that, only it wasn't my house, it was a huge beautiful mansion a friend let me stay at for the day. It started out great and my spa-treatment person was a woman not much older than me. However, I kept being indecisive on what all I wanted to have done. The woman would leave to let me decide, and I kept noticing that more and more people - both employees and clients - were coming in the house. Because I did not know what to expect, I think the woman took advantage of the situation to visit with some other employees instead of spending the allotted time with me. The house became full of people, and I started to wander around to try to find the woman who had been helping me. I saw lots of people getting treatments, even a woman and her big, white, Fancy-Feast-type cat getting a couples massage! I think the dream ended not long after that, before I ever got anything done. It was confusing and somewhat sad. I guess part of me is still anxious about my time at a day spa! I'll be sure to write about it after I go. :)