Once, a long time ago, I was in a car accident and was taken out of my everyday life for a while; it was a few months from the time of the accident, on an icy road in New Hampshire, to the time that I was back at home, with my husband and family. A few months from hospital to wheelchair to walker to crutches, from rehab and staying with my parents, recovering, sleeping on a hospital bed in their living room while my in-laws helped Mark take care of the kids to tentatively moving back home, unable to do stairs or to pick up my toddlers when my mother-in-law brought them to visit. I dont want to talk about that. This isnt about that. This is about what I learned. I learned that I can choose to appreciate every day. I learned that carrying a basket of laundry upstairs from the basement was a wonderful, glorious thing. I learned that what looks like a run-of-the-mill day can be the richest day, full of love and happiness that are too easy to overlook. I learned that complaining begets more complaining and I can choose not to invest my energy in doing that. I absolutely am NOT successful at putting into practice what I learned every day. But even on the days when Im complaining and sad and angry and depressed, I cant forget that I learned that I can choose differently if I want to. I can choose to be grateful. I can choose to appreciate my life and the people in it. Yesterday was an ordinary day. I went with my daughter and grandkids to visit my mom and dad and my niece and we had delicious food and a fun visit. Then, back at our house, we decided we needed ant spray (!) -- also, rolls to go with the barbecue my dad sent back with us, so Grayson (3yo) and I went to the store together, in a downpour, laughing at the rain, delighting in finding a car cart, buying cookies and ice cream and soda and potato chips and a blue kickball. And a container of strawberry frozen yogurt, which Grayson insisted was his mamas favorite. Back home, Meredith and Alice had tidied the playroom, formerly known as the dining room, and Grayson ran to show his mama the blue ball. Joseph came from work, Jesse and Owen and Brian came in and for awhile there was cooking and eating and crawling Alice and pedaling Grayson and cosplay planning and crumbs and Jesse fixing roasted cauliflower while I warmed barbecue, and later, things slowed and the Landrums went home, and Clint arrived and Mark called and I told him happy stories of his grandbabies and we talked about his next trip home and the fall beach trip and later, I cleaned just barely enough to keep the the ants at bay. It was a perfect day. I learned what a perfect day was. I can choose to have a perfect day and that accident taught me that the power to choose is all mine. This morning the birds are singing. The coffee is ready. Time to unload the dishwasher, check the laundry, make the carrot/apple/ginger juice. I hope you all have a perfect day.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 10:35:59 +0000
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