Sometimes

Sometimes you might wake up much before you should.  You might wake up six or seven times before you should because the baby has a cold.  In fact, you might all wake up while it is still dark.  And then you might try to make the best of it by snuggling in bed as long as you can.  (Probably only five minutes before you are wrestling in bed.  But sometimes that five minutes will seem like a miracle because boy toddlers do not, as a rule, have snuggling quietly in bed on their ‘to do’ list when they first wake up in the morning.) Sometimes—I take that back.  Always-- this type of morning pairs well with coffee (stirred with an alien-headed children's spoon from Ikea, if that is the only clean spoon).  It wakes up your mouth. Sometimes, when it might or might not be a Fall morning outside, but it is too early to tell—Sometimes when you feel too cold and tired and creaky to get up, you should make scones with your sleepy hands.  Warm buttery scones with almonds and cherries.  They warm up the kitchen.  They warm up you and take out the creaks.            Sometimes you should just leave the dirty dishes, kiss Dada good bye, and put Sister down for her nap….….and play a good game while the sun rises…Sometimes you just need to celebrate when little things go your way.  Sometimes you need to put your contacts in to go outside to look at the fog.  Sometimes, for fun, you repeat the new word you just learned over and over, “Fog.  Foggity Fog.  FOG—fog!”Sometimes the cool wet boards wake up your bare feet.  They remind your toes of mountain grasses with clinging dew--of when you were a little girl and early dawn was an exciting, splendid, secret time of day.   Your spirit might even feel a little refreshed.  Might even reach out and remember Creator-God. Here. Now. Sometimes one of the people you love most might choose that moment to tell you that he can make a face “just like Calvin, Mama!”And then you might be surprised to hear yourself laugh.  Sometimes.Because as a wise two-year old in our house says to keep himself from crying when a ball hits him in the face or when life doesn’t go his way, “Sometime dat what happen, Mama.  Yeah.  Dat happen sometimes.”

Yes, Lord, sometimes this life is what happens…  For the portion you have given me--the portion you have chosen and promised to be enough for today (oh help me see it is enough!)—for this portion I do I will choose to give you thanks!