Blessings at Barnes and Noble?

Happy New Year all! My New Year started off a little rocky as I sat in the cafe at Barnes and Noble sipping on their infamous white hot chocolate and munching down a tasty red velvet cake as I chatted with my cousin. About an hour into our philosophizing about life, my cousin jumped when she felt something touch her side. It wasn't long before she put together that the wallet hanging out of her purse meant that the guy behind her was pick pocketing her. She confronted him with a loud, "Excuse me?" and before we knew it he was quickly exiting the store. She followed him while I called 9-1-1. Of course the guy took off before the cops came and we soon realized that his companion at the table did too. She's probably the one who had my cousin's missing credit card. How smart? He made a scene so all eyes were on him while his companion quietly left the store, probably sporting my cousin's credit card.

So why in the world would I put this unsettling incident up on a blog full of blessings? Consider this:

• The guy could have shot or stabbed us.
• The guy could have gotten my cousin's entire wallet taking all valuable things including her identity.
• This incident could have never happen, leaving us off guard and open to something much worse. Now that our guard is up, we may avoid something else in the future.

Fortunately, the manager at B&N let my cousin use the phone to report her stolen credit card immediately and nothing else was taken. Since the thief won't be able to use her credit card for anything, it looks like he messed with the wrong gals.

Wishing you "Blessings from Above,"
Denise