Mystery of the Magazines

Almost two years ago, right after my Dad died, an interesting thing happened... I began receiving magazine subscriptions to magazine's I'd never subscribed to.

Naturally skeptical, I waited for a promo bill, a notice that my name / address had been mixed up with someone else's, an angry neighbor at my door accusing me of stealing, or figured it was just a one or two time thing as free promotion in hopes that then I would want to subscribe. Time passed, magazines kept coming, and that's all. It wasn't a promotion, I never received a bill or advertisements or "this *free (*nothings free in this world) promotion is going to expire, subscribe now!" notices. I just received two magazines in the mail every month for a year; Rolling Stone and another music magazine I can't remember at the moment. I couldn't help but wonder if I ended up on some random spam list that was actually beneficial to me, or if someone was thinking of an anonymous way to cheer me up by bringing monthly cheer to my door without having to get in my face about it (cause face to face pity really doesn't help, no matter how well meaning people are).

Ever the optimist, I decided to take into account that I never get things delivered to my home address when I shop online, and I've had the same single magazine subscription of my own for over five years without ever once receiving a random "promo" one from connected companies or even a clothing catalog. I try to stay far from those lists. Once, my best friend bought me a subscription to Parents Magazine for my birthday, but she told me about it because it was a gift. A wonderful gift! (And yes I read Parents Magazine even though I'm not a parent. I still get to parent children, so that counts too I say.) This time, however, whomever I mentioned this magazine conundrum to seemed as baffled as I was. Or perhaps they're really good at bluffing, I may never know! I decided to just accept it as a quiet gift until there was reason to think otherwise. Addressed exactly to me, without any weird spellings or symbols, right up my alley in personal taste, and never asking for renewal or sending a bill, they must have been sent to me by a thoughtful someone, right? Well that's what I decided, and it made feel good. I felt flattered and grateful and enjoyed reading about rock stars monthly.

After that year, my lease ended at that apartment, I moved, and the magazines stopped coming. It was a fun fluke that I thought a genius way to do something nice and anonymous for someone. I was definitely inspired and touched.

Now, a year later at the new address, last month, and again this month, another free magazine that I've never heard of (but absolutely love now) arrived in my mailbox. A DIY household magazine, full of recipes, projects, and design ideas for the home. What?! Where is it coming from, how does the sender know I love this stuff, and why me?! I don't know what to make of it. Either I'm being followed by a magazine fairy who knows my needs and tastes well, I have a secret subscribing admirer, or spam has taken a turn for the better and I am one happy beneficiary. I don't know!!

All I know is, I love surprises. I love good deeds. I love gifts with "no strings attached" and people who think of others without bragging about it or expecting something in return. I love that amid all the crazy and sad horrors we see, experience, and hear about daily there may be, just maybe, a magazine magician out there trying to cheer up the world with small and simple gestures that reach much further than a mailbox.

Thank you, whoever you are (if you're a who) or whatever it is (if it's a what).