Today

It would be easy to overlook the blessings today.

My "day off" consumed with errands and picking up and meal planning and the, "to-do" looming over the "Today."

But every step taken this morning was fraught with gratitude.

Every time a little voice whispered, "Mama, will you play with me?" was answered not by, "in a minute, or after I get home from work" but with a resounding, "Oh, yes.  You're Cinderella and I'm Ariel, right?"

Simple things like picking up needed medication- thank you, Lord for good, caring doctors and health insurance.

Every breath a thank-you.

We didn't have money in the bank yesterday, and today we do.  And instead of feeling crushed by the weight of the wait, I was euphoric in joy of the not-forgotten.

I was able to read for hours to my little one at the library, and allow her to tell me when it was time to go- instead of always rushing her out to make it on time to school, to work, to eat, to bed.  She read the word, "cow" on her own, slowly identifying each letter, sounding them out as she went- not an illustration in sight and I got to witness in my own child what I do every day for other kids.

We got to check out books that looked beautiful, that would feed us well and happily skipped to pack them into our car.

We shared a bagel for lunch and picked up the dry-cleaning, grateful the whole way for food in our bellies and clothes on our back.

We played in the backyard, dirty with earth under our fingernails and planted seeds with the dream that they will grow into something that will nourish the whole of us.

We made elaborate plans for blueberry muffins in the cutest little paper wrappers we found at the dollar store last week and I was moved to tears that we had all of the ingredients needed to fulfill her request to "make Papa a treat".   How blessed we are.

I cleaned the kitchen for the first time, without resentment- I have a kitchen. With pots and pans and bottles of new olive oil and flour and meal ready to go for dinner.

And for, "rest" time, we lay down together- because everything else can wait.  Today is our day and I don't want to forget what that means.