Normal Day

I saw a poem on Ali Edwards blog last year that I find myself thinking about often. Especially whenever any of the boys get sick.

The poem is by Mary Jean Iron and goes like this: Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

I have really been thinking about this a lot lately as we approach Vaughn's 5th birthday. How those first 6 months of his life Scott and I hoped and dreamed for a normal day for Vaughn and once again for ourselves. We have been blessed with so many normal days since then.

Now as Jackson recovers from a virus and possible roseola I once again anxiously await a normal day. One without worry and fear that the fever could be an indication of something much worse. Something we know all too well.

So I hope and pray that tomorrow brings a normal day.

And if it does... I have no doubt that I will actually enjoy my hour long commute to and from work:

I won't even be annoyed by the beamer riding my tail even though I am already going well above the speed limit.

I will gladly stop at every single red light I hit along the way.

I won't shout out at the Sunday driver in front of me "how do you possibly get anywhere in life driving that slow!!"

I will wave with a huge smile to the poor guy holding up the "Kolache" arrow in front of the bakery on 2222 instead of feeling just too tired and busy to possibly raise my arm up and wave back.

And when I get to work...

I won't even notice the negative, Debbie Downer at my company inappropriately cursing in the hall, griping and calling my boss a dumb a*s.

I will gladly answer any question an employee has. Despite the fact that the information is already posted on the intranet in great detail - I will be more than happy to help.

Finally, I will gladly answer any long detailed question someone has at 3:59pm. It doesn't matter that I have been in my office with the answer for the last 7 hours. I am more than happy to leave late and accomodate them.

And what is funny - is that I am totally serious! I will gladly do all these things that eventually do become the mundane, routine part of life because I am grateful for today's reminder of just how lucky we truly are.