Grateful

The other day, I was feeling grateful. Which is good, because I inadvertently listed it twice on my Bucket List back in May. I noticed it a few weeks later, but decided to leave the duplication in there. As I've said time and again, I do have a lot to be grateful for. Surprises me, at times, to feel that way towards some of the things in life.

Last Thursday, it rained.

And rained. And rained. The baby had a bad night sleeping, and was up far earlier in the morning than I really wanted her to be. That meant I was up earlier than I wanted to be.

I noticed the river in my front yard as I walked down the stairs. The problem is, we aren't waterfront. The storm drain had gotten overwhelmed with debris. Part of my front yard was washing down into my backyard.

I stepped into a mid-calf high "puddle" of water as I tried to dredge out the drain. Plan B had me putting on boots, since my sneakers and pants were soaked. Cars drove past me, driving through the puddles and soaking me. By the time I had cleared the drain and the water started to recede, I was not a happy woman.

The morning continued, grumpily for each of us. There were fighting children, complaining about breakfast offerings, clothing choices and lunch packing. The baby was cranky. So were Mommy and Daddy. The bus was late in arriving. I wanted a do-over.

My neighbor called, too, talking of her craving for coffee, but not being able to treat herself as the roads in town were closed due to flooding from the river. Although I was wet, cold, cranky and unshowered, I invited her to enjoy a cup of Dunkin Donuts from my kitchen side barista (i.e., my Keurig). She showed up with muffin mix, and got to work baking as I fed and napped the cranky baby.

Just to have the fun continue, the school nurse called after a while to tell me that one of my daughters had become ill on the school bus, and wanted to come home. Normal routes to the school were closed so it would take me a while to maneuver traffic to get to her. My neighbor offered to stay in my home and watch the sleeping baby and my other daughter, who did not have school that day.

The quiet in my van was just what I needed. I am not sure which song was on the radio on my way to school, but whatever it was lifted my spirits. I found my tummy-sick daughter waiting for me in the nurse's office. Her face lit up as she saw me, though she did look like she wasn't feeling very well at all.

I watched her in the backseat as we drove home. A feeling of calm washed over me, I can't really explain it. My bad mood was gone, and in place of it I was grateful.

I had this unexpected chance to love on this daughter today. I spent the day doting on her, not looking for accolades but just a few hugs.

Even though my pants and shoes and whole being were soaked that morning, I had pants and shoes and whole being to get soaked in the first place.

I had this wonderful, blessed, unexpected, amazing baby to smile at me each morning, even at the awful hour of 5:30.

I had a fantastic husband who appreciated that I didn't wake him to stop the approaching tide in our lawn, rather ebbed the flow myself (though he did wake up, as my yelling at the passing cars was loud and I had left the front door open).

I had a great neighbor and friend who knows everything about me but loves me anyway, and offered her help to me the best way she knew how that day, taking care of me when I needed a little pampering but didn't know enough to ask.

I had so many friends who would laugh at my story as I recounted it to them, among others, and smile at me and my family as we made our way through life.

I was even grateful to the driver of the van I passed. Funny how that vehicle shows up at exactly those moments when I need reminding how my life used to be, how bad it could be, and how good it really is.

I am grateful.