Good morning

Yesterday was a full day preparing for a big day, today.

My daughters and I are celebrating the life of an amazing woman. She battled a cancerous brain tumor for over 2 years. For those of you who know about GBM, you know what a miracle it is that Cathy had two more years to love up and inspire her family and friends. Her courageous effort will surely last for generations. Our community is so blessed to have had her influence for 42 shining years. We also get to celebrate the 4th birthday of the sweet, vivacious daughter of some dear friends. It is sure to be a memorable day.

The day started with a quiet wake-up call by my 2 year old son. He has a pretty bad cold. He whispered in my ear while I was still sleeping, "Mom....you lake (wake) up?...pause...I need my chocolate newk (milk)." I so wanted to sleep longer. I told him, "In a few minutes, honey. Go watch your show." Yes, we keep the TV armed and ready with channel 106. He just walks by and turns it on. It usually buys me a few extra minutes of sweet, sweet sleep. Unfortunately, I thought I heard him opening the fridge and moving the gallon of milk. A shot of adrenaline coursed through my veins and I was up and at ‘em. Good thing because I would have missed the incredible display pictured above.

I don't think I'm ever going to be able to whine about a busy day, because I will always think about how much Cathy would have enjoyed any one of my challenges during her long battle with cancer. It is a reality check that adjusts my perspective to focus on blessings and gratitude. Thanks Cathy.

Kids today

Living in sunny Arizona, my kids aren’t exposed to all the elements of weather that many children experience. On the way home from the gym it was unusually gloomy. Alison, my 8 year old, said, “Mom, we are learning about clouds in school. I just saw a gray cloud!” She was proud of her observation. My husband and I, both being raised in the Midwest, exchanged silent, but incredulous expressions.

I guess this is where, as parents, we could have told the kids how easy they have it. Back when we were kids, we had gray clouds for many days at a time. Sometimes it felt like weeks! But we didn’t. As we all got out of the car, I whispered to Brad, “That was bloggable, right? “Oh yeah,” he agreed.

Great Expectations

I find that when I’m most unhappy, it is because my reality isn’t following the path of my great expectations. I have a choice. I can wallow in all of the ways my life has strayed from my master plan, or I can open my eyes and watch what is actually happening all around me.

To expect is to attempt to control the outcome. To watch is to allow the outcome.

Our reality may be different than we had planned, but it is ours to experience and enjoy. Be thankful, take a deep breath, open your eyes, and walk on. Feel free to take the scenic view.