Member-only story
I Bought My Mother at a Thrift Store for $2.99
And I connected with her in such an incredible way
This was an incredibly hard essay to write, and I doubt it will be much easier for you to read.
I wasn’t really dressed for a meeting with my mother seeing as I was wearing my Tupac t-shirt and very short shorts, although I have to say she’s not picky and has seen me in much, much worse, including nothing at all. Still, if I had known I was going to see her today I might have made more of an effort. I was in the thrift shop, and I saw her, on a shelf halfway across the store.
At first I thought the icon was water damaged, but I quickly realized that she was weeping and therefore the wet look was intentional. Sadly though, the icon was damaged in other ways. It was quite evident that the person who had thrown it in the donation bin did not value it the way I did.
I picked her up with delight, and wanted to kiss her. I had never had this strong of a reaction to an icon before, even though I love icons. However, I refrained from doing so. I didn’t care about the dust, and I wasn’t worried about germs that might be on it because just like the Eucharist, I don’t believe I can get sick from an object as sacred as an icon in the act of veneration. I felt it prudent to appear relatively normal, even though I’m not…
