A Little Treat, Just Because

As I prance on down to live in the South for the first time in my life, and to well and truly find my inner steel magnolia, I’m sure I’ll have many stories to share.  Tales of some of the most treasured southern secrets and deep history that I know I’ll just eat up with a spoon.

Today, I already have a story to share, and we’ve not even left the Midwest yet.  I can tell this is going to be fun.

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Some other southern sweeties like Robin and SaraSophia have already taught me my first southern word: Surcee.  Or Surcie.  They are unsure how to spell it because everyone just DOES it.

It means “a little treat, just because“, but the truth is, it must be something they hold very close to the chest there in the South because you can find almost no information about the concept online.  Actually, you can, but when you google “Surcies” you basically find Robin’s posts about the idea. She is the queen of Surcees.

Robin explained that it’s a sweet little “sumpin sumpin” that is high in emotional value and often low in monetary value.  I love this, because you can send someone something special and just by them calling it a surcie it automatically makes the gift that much more awesome.  And (happy) tear inducing.

As this most lovely tradition was being explained to me, Robin handed me the prettiest of gifts, a present that made me lose my breathe because of how much it meant.  She said, simply,

“I have a Surcee just for you.”

What was it?  It was one of the gorgeous posie pins from (in)courage.  The reason this little treat meant so much, was because (in)courage is a site that has brought me MUCH in the way of support, like-minded love, and just plain “yeah, it happens to me too”-ness.  It’s impacted my soul, made me find a tribe of women that I didn’t realize existed.  Spiritual women who make no apologies for it.  I feel less tense, less anxiety after reading their posts, and I’ve found INCREDIBLE writers and blogs through them too. I say this with no exaggeration — (in)courage has changed me head to toe.

The posie says “quite blessed” on it’s leaf.  Oh. Am I.

So you can see why I may have gotten a tad choked up.  It was my first Surcie, after all.

Before I could even fully pin on my posie and dry my eyes, Sarah chimed in.  Let me preface this by saying we had only just met — actually we may have not even officially met yet at this point.  It was all a blur.

So SaraSophia says, “Oh, you like gifts?  I have one for you!”

Then she handed me a box, with the most lovely of necklaces.  So precious, so different, just enough feminine and funky to suit my needs perfectly.  It was this necklace by muntedkowhai (in pink):

As you can imagine, SaraSophia and I have been in love ever since.

These women and their Surcees, they blessed me SO.  I needed them and their love right in those moments.  They appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to heal tiny wounds I hadn’t realized needed healing.

As I continued researching this most secretive tradition, I came across the Charleston Cookie Company.  It seems Charleston claims the right to be called “originator of the Surcie“, and I think it’s entirely NOT a coincidence that I had these special Surcee moments and also happen to be moving to Charleston in less than two weeks.

Have you received any Surcees lately (even if you didn’t know they had a name)?  I’d love to hear about them!

Here is a pic of me with my Surcies, right after they were bestowed:

*Photo by Amber

Here’s to gifts for no occasion, Surcies, and here’s to all the loveliness I know the South has in store for me still.

Updated to add:

Robin reminded me in the comments that PEOPLE can also be Surcees, and I realized that I left out a lovely little moment I meant to share…that after sharing some giggles and special conversation with Robin she told me that I was a Surcie to HER.  Yes, that is when we fell in love as well.

Who are your Surcees?