A Message from Beyond

My husband and I recently went on vacation to Mexico. Here is just the first of many neurotic moments I had while on vacation.

I wrote a postcard to my nieces while on the plane headed home. I was trying to keep the note light and fun, and with a message that a four-year-old and a two-year-old would understand. After a quick line about playing on the beach I wrote:

"Aunty's advice: wear sunscreen and always order dessert."

And then I realized what I had done. I had just written a perfect life creed:

Wear sunscreen - be careful.

Always order dessert - have fun.

And from that point on I became paranoid our plane was doomed. I could just imagine someone recovering our belongings from the crash, finding that postcard in the rubble and mailing it to my nieces. Aunty had sent them a message on living life-- from beyond.

So naturally I addressed the postcard with their names and addresses and put it safely in my bag, waterproofing it in a plastic baggy I had. If something were to happen, I was going to make sure this note had every chance of making it to my nieces.

I made it home safely, obviously, and mailed the postcard from work. Instead of being the perfect life creed my nieces carry with them to college and beyond, the postcard will probably just be posted to their fridge until being discarded in spring cleaning.