The doorbell rang. I needed to sign for a package. From Peru, oh okay, not one of Richard’s, I know what that is.

I got one once that was simply cotton muslin, almost a burlap fabric, possibly even handspun and handwoven and closed with rough string. My address was written across it with a sharpie, just legible enough. I pictured it inside a donkey’s bags, making its way carefully over a mountain pass to get to the nearest post office; it did take some time to get to me. When I saw it I was utterly charmed–I loved that it shared its background with me. I wanted to meet the people who had done this.

This one was an ordinary manila envelope. Just as much happy anticipation and I still wish I could meet the people behind it.

Because inside were 61 hand knit finger puppets.

I sent the vendor a note: his price had come to 69 cents each–I had only been expecting 60, I owed him 69 cents.

No, he wrote back via Ebay’s message board, he always puts in an extra “in case one fails.”

That was such an unexpected statement that I laughed. I wish I could show him the faces of the small, tired child starting to whine at her mother behind us in a ten-cart (!) line at Costco today in the moment when one of those finger puppets came out of my purse. Magical. Absolutely magical.

I got a shy, happy wave bye-bye not long after as the mom beamed.

There’s more where that one came from. And I am so glad. They came!