Our orange tiger - kitty, Rex, got into a snit the last two days because no one was home to play with him, and he up-ended his recycling water dish three times, to the detriment of the wooden floor and the electrical mechanism in his dish. As I filled a washing machine with wet towels, Aden and I joked over what a first-world problem it was: "our pet cat tipped over his personal water fountain." Can you imagine trying to explain that to a refugee fleeing Africa? Or the fact that I 'labored' to fill our high efficiency washing machine with plush towels so they could be washed, rinsed and spun in 30 minutes? Hardly a heavy issue.
Then I got on a kick and started looking at the challenges of this month from the same perspective: our crazy May calendar full of concerts, athletic events, thank you gifts and award banquets - nerve-wracking to a parent of three but full of fun activities that our sponsored students in Guatemala would love to schedule somewhere between walking to and from school and helping their families with hard labor.
A messy kitchen overflowing with colorful flyers for picnics, field trips and parties, a living room littered with musical instruments (piano, trumpet, guitar, recorders), an office holding books and technology. You get the picture . . . what amazing good fortune to have any of it, and to have a family to share it with.
Being grateful doesn't shrink my to - do list, doesn't shorten the list of thank you notes to write and gifts to purchase, but it does change the recording in my head from frustrated to fulfilled, from dutiful to delighted. As I reflect on our many opportunities I actually get impatient to express my thanks and joy for the people who have filled this school year with growth and happiness for my children and for Rob and me.
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