Today, I’m grateful for a day that was just fine. We’ve no major problems and no major worries. And those things are often overlooked and taken for granted. I’m not doing that today. I am going to take notice of a ‘just fine’ day and appreciate it. It’s a fantastic place to be.
The alternative would be terrible… and be noticed. Why not take the time to notice the good in our life? I will for today and for many more days to come, I hope.
~K
I went to the dentist this morning. Never mind that this is a huge phobia of mine or that I had to get three shots of novocaine or that my entire day has been marred by the event. Never mind all of that, because, in the midst of all of this, this early morning chaos,- oddly enough,- through my visit to the dentist, I found exactly what it was that I was immensely grateful for.
I came home from my appointment, sore and numb. I was grouchy and sleepy. My two year old ran to me. He’d missed me. I picked him up and held his face against mine in a deep hug. And then…. I felt the emptiness. I realized that I couldn’t feel his face. Sure, temporary novocaine is all it was, and it would certainly wear off by lunchtime, but I found myself turning to the other cheek, hungry for the feel of his soft baby face against mine.
It was one of those weird moments where you don’t realize what a huge pleasure and privilege it is, to touch your children… to feel their sweet little skin against yours. What an immense loss it would be to not be afforded this wonderful experience, so easily overlooked until it is missing. I instantly KNEW this was my moment for the day.
Thankfully, as I type, though my jaw is still sore, my cheeks are again full of feeling and ready for some little people hugs!
~K
Today, without any planning, I had a date with two girlfriends. Oh, and our six kids…. how could I forget?
We got together, completely spur of the moment, and played… laughed…. talked…. passed time during “that time of day” … the time that can often draaagggg on?
These weren’t just any girlfriends… this was special. This was the kind of afternoon where you could just sit and relax. Where you could confess insecurities, curse freely and hug upon entrance and exit. Where the love of children is sincere and shared among the six and the appreciation of the adult time is equally understood.
Girlfriends like these have the ability to refresh your spirit, give you stomach pains from laughter and remind you that you’re all in the same boat, just trying to stay afloat. Parenting isn’t easy, adult friendships can be tricky, life ebbs and flows…. but these afternoons are some of the high points.
I’m so grateful for these girls…. what an easy day for positivity and appreciation.
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Oh yeah…. and a pretty cool delivery today, too. You wouldn’t believe the smiles!
The little things, each day… if each person just took the time, it could change the world.
Not to mention, it felt great!
~K
My children and I went to the fire department last week. Not only were we in awe of these courageous men and women and what they willingly sacrifice for us each day, there was also something else there that I noticed, more than the hoses, the ladders and the uniforms. I saw a huge bin in the corner of the fire museum. Upon closer look, I saw that the firefighters were collecting gently used books to donate to children in our community who didn’t have the advantages that mine do.
Both of my kids love to read and we come from a family of others who also share the love of reading. As that, we have so many great books and are always going to the bookstore and the library for fun, encouraging this love of reading and literature.
Today, I went through the little one’s room and the playroom and gathered books for the bin. When my 5 year old came home from school I gave her a basket and asked her to pick 20 books that she doesn’t read anymore to share with children who may not have books. And here’s my gift: She got it! No complaints, no questions. She took her time, went to her room and counted out 20 books to fill the basket and to share with others!
By the end of the day, I had filled an entire laundry basket with books. Tomorrow, my son and I will return to the fire department… to give back. What an great lesson to give to my children and how amazing it felt to see them start to comprehend that there are others outside of themselves who may be in need.
Not a bad day…. not a bad day at all. Lesson learned.
~K
Today, we passed a gentleman on the road. He held a sign that said, ‘hungry’. It was 36 degrees outside. I talked my husband into taking the change from our car, we went to McDonald’s and bought a double cheeseburger and fries.
I felt like beyond being grateful and noticing goodness each day, I should also try to incorporate passing along goodness to others. If EVERYONE made a conscious choice to do one small thing each day, can you imagine how we could change the world? So, for today… this positivity went towards feeding another who was hungry.
Read on… it wasn’t that simple.
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The catch:
Upon returning to this gentleman’s spot, he was no longer there. This was a matter of ten minutes. However, in his spot, oddly enough, was an equally needy gentleman, or at least according to his sign. The second gentleman got the burger and fries.
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The confusion:
We felt it especially important to show our children how you should share with others less fortunate. We discussed empathy and struggle with them.
My five year old in the backseat asked where this man lived. We told her he was probably homeless and what that meant. She responded with ‘if you want to be rich, you must work hard’. We were glad she knew this. We explained that we also believe this is true. We also explained that for some, it isn’t that easy and that some people are at a disadvantage, and it doesn’t hurt to help others even if it were the case that he didn’t want to work hard.
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The reflection:
Upon receipt of the burger, this gentleman, if I’m being honest, didn’t seem as appreciative as I would have thought, well, considering he was holding a sign begging for food and all. And, the car ahead of us did give him cash. At first, it kind of felt a little less good, this giving of lunch, than I’d anticipated it would. I wondered if we’d been taken advantage of.
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Who’d have thought so many thoughts and stages and emotions would have gone into giving a guy a burger? I certainly didn’t.
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The conclusion:
Regardless of whether or not this man had a home or not, regardless of whether or not he had (probably) more money in his pockets than we had in our car, regardless of whether or not he had a job, wanted a job, or would work at a job if given the opportunity, the fact remains…. it was 36 degrees outside. He was stripped of his dignity, standing on an interstate off ramp, holding a cardboard sign begging others.
He was at a disadvantage. No question.
It cost us $2.18 and hopefully taught our children a lesson in charity and in empathy. It obviously taught us more than we bargained for.
~K
Today’s note is slightly more superficial. It’s not to be misread into ungratefulness, but only to point out that we’re all human. We can’t all skip around, grateful for air and butterflies all day long. Not if we’re really being truthful. Today’s post is casual. It’s half serious. But it’s also honest. And if I’m going to do this every day, well, ‘mama said there’d be days like this’…
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Bedtime.
Today was a long, cold day here. My kids are pent up like a litter of Labrador puppies, full of energy and unable to run and play. They’re fighting. Squealing. Whining.
It’s a little hard to sit and think. Especially because as I’m writing this they are screaming and chasing each other in circles around me, one on a plastic motorcycle and the other with a musical instrument in hand.
And so, for today I am thankful for… bedtime! That’s right, bedtime, when these wild little monkeys can finally unwind and get the rest they need. When the energetic squealing slowly relaxes into warm bellies and nighttime lullabies. Bedtime, where the arguing and fussing dissipates into snuggling and suckling and when these wild little monkeys metamorphose into peacefully sleeping angelic cherubs and we all get to refresh again until morning.
~K
It’s cold outside. Very cold. And while I am really trying to focus on appreciating the diligent efforts of the sun each day, I also will not deny that when I’m moving from home to car, I am stern face, straight ahead, getting kids out of the house and into heated cars as quickly as possible.
As I was getting my two year old into the car, I heard a sound next to our house. I recognized the sound and stopped. Looked at my son. Pointed the squirrel, a lone soldier in the old trees out to my son. I watched his bright eyes as he searched the skies and the huge oak tree and then finally as his face lit up when he spotted the fuzzy little tail bouncing from branch to branch. I smiled as he squealed and pointed. I laughed in gratitude as he yelled in the unforgettable sing songy voice that only a toddler possesses, ‘There he is, mama! Thereheis!”
For today, I’m thankful for this squirrel. This brave little fellow, daring enough to withstand the elements, energetic and bold enough to brighten our afternoon. These usual things, every day occurrences have the ability to carry so much more if we only take the time to stop and to recognize what is so often around us.
Thank you, my squirrel friend, for lighting up our day. Please come back soon, for we’re taking notice here these days.
~K
