This morning, I woke up without an alarm and lingered in bed for a while, looking at the ceiling, enjoying the prospect of several hours without any plans or any company. Steve left early this morning to drive up and visit Kristiana for the day. Daniel spent the night at a friend's house. So I was left alone with the little doggie to find ways to enjoy this glorious spring morning.
I am thankful for -
* the sandwich made of an egg, whole grain bread, pesto veganaise and spring mix that I made myself for breakfast
* the green tea latte with coconut milk
* the brief walk I took with Maya
* talking to a neighbor for a few minutes at the end of the block
* the long walk I took to the library
* the many prayers and thoughts that passed through my mind as I walked
* phone conversations with my daughter and my dear friend as I walked
* how patient the librarians were with the mentally disabled man who was talking to them as I entered the library and was still talking to them when I left fifteen minutes later
* watching these two videos of the cutest and funniest couple I think I've ever seen (one and two) (I so wish I could be their friend.)
* Mimi, the woman in those videos, and how she inspires me to sew simple and beautiful dresses and skirts
* a green smoothie with mixed greens, mango, watermelon, almonds, flax seeds, water, and orange juice
* vegan chocolate chip cookies
* final preparations for a talk I will give tonight for a women's gathering at a Spanish-speaking church
* an invitation to speak at a conference for Spanish-speaking women this August
* the fact that both my husband and my daughter (in separate conversations) laughed heartily when I told them that I've been asked to speak on being a submissive woman
* the knowledge that I will NOT be giving the talk they expect me to give cuz submission is not the same as obedience or silence or weakness or inequality - and that is what a lot of women, myself included, have heard for most of our church-going lives
* remembering the brief time I spent on my church's women's retreat last weekend (where there was absolutely NO discussion of submission!)
* having nearly four months to get ready for that talk
* the warm weather during these past few days
* fans, air conditioning, and dehumidifiers
* irises beginning to grow and daffodils already fully grown
* my son getting the green light to get back to playing tennis after having to take five weeks off due to the beginning stages of a stress fracture in his wrist
* Dr. Rainbow, the sports medicine doctor that we found on our health insurance website, who treated Daniel and the fact that she herself played college tennis so she understood the rigors of his training and how difficult but necessary it was for him to take time off
* her bubbly, humorous, and gentle spirit - how can you be anything but sunny and kind when your last name is Rainbow?
* how well she and Daniel got along during his visits
* being asked to make someone an infinity scarf and finally finding a fabric I think she will like
* the birth of a son to a friend of mine out in Arizona - YAY, Mel, Andy, Liv and Locke!!!
* the wedding invitation that arrived this week - it would appear that my nieces and nephews are full grown adults.
* how clicking on the wrong box on the template of my blog turned into a new look once I realized that I couldn't figure out how to go back to the previous look
* how many times my mistakes and bad choices have worked out in the end
* the hope that those that haven't been resolved or worked out yet eventually will
* so many opportunities to live vicariously through other people's photos and stories - friends who recently went to Rome and London, someone who is wedding planning and shopping in Atlanta this weekend, Pinterest, others who are working on their second books, someone who is about to go back to work as a flight attendant after taking time off, and also the great stuff I find on youtube
* tear-soaked conversations sealed with hugs and kisses
* the awesome quote I found this week that said something like - "the percentage of the time that I have survived terrible days is 100%."
* being able to look back at where I was a year ago right now - awaiting a date for surgery, watching and waiting for my hair to regrow, being thrilled that chemo was behind me - and having my eyes still fill with tears of gratitude for life and health, for hospitals and operating room dance parties (why didn't I think of doing that?), for celebrations of life even at the moment of facing one's mortality
* memories of this week's miracles: coffee dates, dinner dates, an invitation to the theater, going for a walk with a neighbor, walking through Target with my husband, walking through the mall with my son, fantastic sales going on at Harris Teeter (I do love going to the supermarket), much laughter, many times of prayer, hours of writing and reading, and lots of delicious food
* for Easter morning sunrise services and Easter hymns
* for the power of resurrection, new life, surprise visits, and hope in the wake of darkness, fear, silence, and death
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