I am grateful to be relaxing, smiling and laughing at the end of a long day and busy week. It is remarkable to me, really. My commute home was a bit of a nightmare. It took me two hours and 17 minutes (and 25 seconds, but who’s counting?) At one point I was so frustrated with the pace of the traffic (it took me about an hour to go about five miles) that I started shouting obscenities at the top of my lungs. It was only for about 30 seconds, then in a moment of common sense I called my sister about an hour into the drive to talk me down. Then I put on my audiobook and calmly listened to the tale the rest of the drive home.
When I got home, my friend was waiting for me, ecstatic as always to see me. I smiled as she enthusiastically greeted me, then we took our usual turn around the yard. It didn’t appear to matter to her that I had arrived some 90 minutes later than usual. She hadn’t–as best I can tell–watched the clock anxiously awaiting my arrival knowing that I was late. She wasn’t fidgeting to go out or impatient or angry at me for my tardiness (“you didn’t even call and let me know you’d be late…”) She was body-waggingly happy to see me. Most days, no matter how late I’m running in the morning or how tired I might be when I get home at night, I take time to acknowledge and frolic with her, tossing the ball for her to go get it and bring it back (yes, my “friend” is my dog, Honor, for those who haven’t read about her in earlier blogs).
When one is in traffic for over two hours and arrives home at 8 p.m., the evening has already gotten away from you before you can even settle into it. Thus, I am writing my blog very late this evening (11:30 p.m. Eastern.) For this reason I am not going to write much tonight. I am decided that I will not set my alarm tomorrow morning to my weekend wakeup time (8 a.m.) and will sleep until I awaken. The way I’m feeling that’s likely to be around 10 or later. I am nearly asleep at the keyboard now and I still have to spend a few minutes making music to keep my streak intact.
I am grateful for simple things again this evening–for the greeting when I got home to the beauty of the constellations shining bright in the night sky to the thoughtfulness of my sister who brought me an unexpected pursize on her way home from dinner with her family. (A “pursize” is what we used to call a surprise when I was a kid…). I am grateful for the warmth of my house on this cold January night and I pray for those who have no home and find themselves sleeping in their cars or out on the street. I am grateful for laughter, even by myself watching a funny YouTube video that gave me several much needed chuckles. All these things are small, simple blessings that add up to make my life rich and meaningful. And I am grateful for them all.
