reality check :: morning’s grace

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal

into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our

past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~Melody Beattie

In the name of gratitude and truthfulness I’ve decided to post a little piece of reality here once a week. Likely just a single picture. See my original post here.

I did not want to get out of bed this morning.

I slept late.

Dan woke me to tell me the time. “Not that you have to get out of bed, just thought you might want to know.”

No jumping out of bed. It’s grey. I’m cold. Flannel sheets are warm.

Thankful for the babe who woke me early but afterwards slept late, I pull on jeans and cardigan uniform, slip on familiar wool-lined slippers.

Late starting school, but we’re at it. A daughter composes cursive creative writing sentences about barf and bums. A son has forgotten how to count by fives.

We’re out of peanut butter. I wanted it for my toast. Instead I eat a cupcake left on the counter after yesterday’s plea for chocolate treat. For breakfast. At noon.

I pick a glob of porridge off the floor. There are bread crumbs everywhere and smears of God-only-know on the white tile floor.

Fruit flies have returned with warmer temperatures and the weekend’s apple boxes. The fruit fly trap reeks of red wine vinegar but it’s effective.

The Map of the World Jigsaw was broken over hardwood by well-intentioned small ones. Tears from older sibling.

There are dinosaur cutouts and paper scraps on the carpet.

Pencil shavings on the table (soon floor).

Breakfast isn’t cleaned up, lunchtime nips hard at my heals, and we have company arriving in an hour.

It’s these days that we aren’t playing our A-game that grace is at its richest. 

We’re messy and humbled, needy and weak. Because we need grace most on these days. And it’s always given for the asker.

And on this messy morning, when I wish the sun would break through cloud, and kids cared for cleaning, I’m surrounded by beauty. Beauty – the offering of joy. 

:: Cinnamon rooibos tea steaming in another favourite mug

:: big girls lingering in bed over library books

:: wee lass in her sweet new sweater with those darling skinny cords

:: first morning’s school whiner turned first to leave the school table

::  almond butter and honey on fresh bread slices

:: colour-coded checkmarks on 7yo’s math pages

:: little fingers tickling ivory

:: knitting bag close at hand

:: chicken stock simmering on stove

:: the excitement of reunion with a childhood friend

Funny how much easier it is to see when I’m looking.

I’m full of thanks.

::

What beauty do you see this day, lovelies?