The past two weeks have been a little difficult for this momma. In the last fourteen days I have spent four days away from home and my family, six days away from my office, two days stressed about how hard it is for teenage girls to be teenage girls in 2014, several hours working on two books that are headed for publication soon and too many days pooped at the end of the day. Late in the morning on Friday, I stood in front of two dear friends and all of the thoughts swirling around in my brain escaped and slid down my face as hot tears. I tried to keep the emotions at bay, but I needed a release and this was the way that my body decided to get it. I was not counting my blessings.
My hubby had to work late on Friday, so I picked up the kiddos and we went for dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Afterwards we drove a few miles into the center of town. Our little city, which is a tourist destination and especially crowded this time of year, has a town square where I am usually fortunate enough to find a parking space-- thankfully I found one easily and because it was after 5:00 I didn't have to feed the meter (total score!). We walked around together being silly, taking twilight pictures near the bay, stopped for special salad dressing I promised my mom for our Thanksgiving gathering, and ventured through the artists that set up every weekend in the square. My kiddos are very much "Renaissance Kids." They can find the joy in almost anything- and it helped me to watch them walk together in brisk November air, talking to one another, looking at the handcrafted items in the square- talking to the artists and complimenting them on the beauty in their work. They saw what I had been missing--- the simplistic beauty in life--the blessings.
We left downtown and went home to watch a movie and wait for Daddy to come home. We watched Annie (the 1982 version) and I annoyed them by quoting almost every line and singing every song--- that had been my most favorite movie and I had soundtrack record (yes, I said record) that I had to have played in my room a million and one times.
This morning in church we sang, Count Your Blessings and I was smacked in the face with this lesson again--- focus on the good! All afternoon, as we traveled around town, if one of the kids did something that was goofy, my hubby would look at me and I would begin to sing the song again. And you know what? We all laughed and smiled and focused on the good in that moment-- the simple beauty in life--- the beauty that we are a family and that is one of my biggest blessings.
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