. . .and I'm so thankful.

My match was so on top of things that I got the message that his gift had been sent before redditgifts.com even sent out the "You've been matched!" emails. Talk about efficiency! Then, minutes later I got a redorange from Emmmmmmmmm letting me know my gift was shipped and that he hoped it made me cry (In a good way).

I'll admit, I was a little skeptical that my match could find something so heartfelt in less than 20 minutes. Finally, today, I got a box in the mail, small and slightly oily. It smelled familiar, but I couldn't place it. I ripped it open as soon as I got home, took one whiff, and, sure enough . . . tears.

He comment stalked me and found this from an AskReddit question:

What scent triggers the strongest memory for you? Why? And what's the memory?

"The smell of hardware stores and cedar, pine, and Douglas fir wood, specifically. It reminds me of my father who was a general contractor and spent all of my life building things to keep me fed, housed, and clothed. I know it's silly but I tear up when I breathe deep and smell lumber in a Home Depot or an ACE."

Something left out of that comment was that he passed away three years ago. Emmmmmmmmm's gift to me was a sawdust-scented candle. It might seem silly out of context but to me, it's the perfect way to remember my dad and celebrate his life, especially since Father's Day is tomorrow.

I replied back to him telling him that I'd post a picture of my cry face if it did, in fact, make me cry but there is something about real tears that don't encourage selfies.

Thank you for the gift. It was heartfelt, it was touching, and it was wonderful.

UPDATE: To whoever gave me Elves, thank you. I love that, as well!