The Happy, the Sad, and the Really, Really BAD
Ever have one of those days where you think, “What is going ON today?” Like when you normally NEVER seem to find a close parking space and suddenly, one day, close parking spaces (that aren’t even Handicapped!) are opening up for you everywhere you go? Or your kids are actually GETTING ALONG, and then they pick up their rooms without being asked to AND announce then that they’re tired and head up to bed, no questions asked? (Not sure this has ever actually happened to me, but it sounds delightful.)
Oprah might say that it’s because you’re attracting what you’re giving out to the universe. (WARNING: Quit reading now and skip to the next paragraph if you can’t stand to hear anything negative about Oprah!) I say, “Oprah, you’re crazy for believing that self-centered BS!” I know that “The Secret” is that there’s no secret. It’s just God, working His Holy magic.
That’s the kind of day I had today. It was one thing after another. Mostly happy, but also sad… and a little bit bad (or at the very least—DISGUSTING.)
The Happy:
Every morning I pray on my way to work. It’s about the only quiet time I have with God, and it always puts me in the right frame of mind to start my day. I know in my heart God’s listening, but, you know, sometimes I wonder, because I’m human, “Is He REALLY listening? Does He REALLY care?” Today was one of those days when it seemed He was talking directly to me and answering my prayers–ALL DAY LONG. It completely rocked!
First, I get an email from An Iowa Mom, one of my very favorite bloggy friends, and she asks me if I’d like to be a regular contributor to her Web site, IowaMoms.com. WOULD I?!? I cannot tell you how excited I was because it just reaffirmed for me that this is what I am supposed to be doing now. God’s got a plan! I cannot wait to get started!!
Next, I get an email from Jody from IowaGeek and Have Kid Will Travel and Fab Food Friday (Whew! She’s a busy girl!) and she says, “I just left a l o n g post on your blog.” Of course, I hurried as fast as my little fingers would carry me over to my blog to check it out. Turns out I think I am making a *gulp* NEW FRIEND, which has also been something I’ve been praying about. AND she lives IN MY TOWN. Think we’ll ever get to actually meet IN PERSON? I’ll keep you posted!
Then, I get an email from the leader of the Web team at my church asking me if I’d like to join the team as a writer. Uh, YEAH! I’m totally pumped about this too. Writing about something I’m passionate about? HELLOOOOO??!? I’m all over that.
Then, I see that another one of my favorite bloggy friends The Fritz Facts has just posted who won her contest (If you’re wondering, yes, this is all while I’m at work, and yes, I did manage to actually get some WORK done while I was at work.) and I click on her link to see who it was and I see IT WAS ME!!! Do I EVER win contests? N-O. Was I beyond thrilled? Y-E-S. I cannot wait to spend my $15 gift certificate at amazon.com! The possibilities are endless…
AND today was birthday/anniversary day at work so we got Bruegger’s Bagels AND Krispy Kreme donuts (Yes, I had one of each. I’m not too ashamed to admit it.) AND it was also the day we took a co-worker out for her birthday lunch to Firkin & Fox, a fun British pub-like restaurant. Good food, good conversation…who could ask for more?
The Sad:
This was just too surreal for words…I was reading a blog that I frequent, when I was suddenly drawn to click on one of the other blogs she had listed in her sidebar. Literally, I’ve seen these for months and just haven’t clicked on them yet. And today was apparently the day. And of all of the blogs to choose, I chose this one. Glancing at the latest post, I saw old baby photos, high school shots, and some adult pictures, all of the same person. Reading back to the previous post I realized that the photos were of the author of the blog because she had JUST PASSED AWAY on July 5 from Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Then, reading back, I read the post that she had written before she died to have posted upon her death. As I read it, my eyes completely glued to the screen, I felt a deep sadness for this woman’s family (a husband, a teen, and a baby) whom I’ve never met or even knew existed before this morning, but I also felt a sense of gratitude that I was shown this blog today. Reading back a bit more, I came to understand that this woman, Andrea, had a faith and an outlook on life and death that I cannot even begin to emulate. I felt incredibly blessed to be able to read her beautiful postmortem words of wisdom and insights into what is truly important in this life.
The Really, Really BAD:
So after this crazy roller-coaster of emotions day, and then after work, after taking Boy #3 to Moms & Tots Tumbling (No, I did NOT have to do a backbend–Thank GOODNESS!); running through Wal-Mart with a cartful of storage tubs and baskets (I just like to BUY organizational supplies in the hope that they will magically MAKE me more organized) along with a staple, Starbucks Coffee; counting to 140 with Boy #3; lighting snakes and sparklers while trying not to start any of the BOYS on fire; nursing Boy #2’s burnt finger from the previously mentioned activity; scrubbing Boys 2 and 3 clean after the previously mentioned activity; and reading 3 different books to 3 different boys, Boy #1 said, “Mom—what’s THAT?” I looked to where he was pointing in his room. And I saw it. There, on the carpet. Feces. I can’t even call it a turd. It was a PILE. Of FECES. And, if you’re wondering, it WASN’T CANINE. Which leaves one, and only one, possibility. Human. Specifically, Boy. I’m suspecting Boy #3 although, shockingly, NO ONE would claim ownership. Where’s Gil Grissom when I need him?
And why does it seem that so much of my life is spent elbow-deep in feces?
A day without feces is like a day without… any reality!! :)(It seems the Lord has ways of keeping us humble 🙂
I, too, used to pray on my way to work at a school about 16 miles away. And I am so self centered that I believed that God sent foxes, deer,and beautiful birds just for me to glimpse on the way. In fact I still do. Now when we travel I look for all kinds of beautiful things. And sometimes I wonder how I could get this old without noticing how all the trees have such different shapes..and how many shades of tan and beige there are in nature…and what is my name and what was I doing!
And I do believe in positive thinking…after all I grew up listening to The Power of Positive Thinking by Doctor Norman Vincent Peal(sp?)on Sunday mornings before we went to church..but I certainly don’t buy in to this business of “the world revolves around me”..unless I’m in the car and see a hawk or a scarlet tanager:)
Wishing you a beautiful day filled with beautiful birds and foxes (no deer! and hopefully no piles of feces!)
Feces…wow. Gotta love the way children blame “Wasn’t Me” when things happen.
I hope today is a good day. Filled with laughing, happy thoughts and joy.
I’m glad you had such a good day, minus the feces! lol
That blog you posted about was sad. My heart goes out to that family.
I found your blog through the Iowa Geek and I can definitely relate to you. I am also the mother of three boys. In the fecal situation I would only have one child to blame, child #3. Of course, sometimes I think child #2 does stuff so that he can blame child #3. Oh yes, good times.
oh i’ve been there with the piles of feces…good times.
i read the blog you mentioned…my heart and prayers go out to the family.
i hear you about the time to pray and reflect. sometimes we have to question…other wise, what’s the point? good for you for enjoying most of your great day! look at my blog today and DO WHAT IT SAYS…then tell me about it. i can’t wait to hear what you do.
One of our kids would poop in the yard. Now I’m really glad it was outside and not on the carpet!
Some days you just have to take the bad with the good . . . and be grateful it isn’t worse!
Great blog!
Punk Rock Mommy’s post was probably one of the most inspirational and uplifting things I have ever read. It renews something in me that I once knew, but a decade, husband and 2 kids later, I need a reminder about, and that is a promise that I made to myself once, that if God kept me on this Earth a while longer, I wouldn’t take those I love for granted, and I would live life to the fullest I can. Well, I am still here, and I need to take Andrea’s wisdom and remind myself again every day. Life is good.
I tell ya, more and more alike… Having met Kellyn (Fritz Facts) the last time I was in MN I can tell you that you are lucky to have won her contest! And she’s a funny gal! We shopped in IKEA and the kids played on the stuff. And I see that Melody made it over- she has joined my scrapping outing the last couple of times so you’ll probably get to meet her “in person” sometime.
Congrats on joining us at IowaMoms! It’s a fun project! Maybe someday we can all get together- I’ve been talking to Iowa Mom for a couple of years and she comes to Ankeny for baseball tourneys. But do we ever get to meet? Nope…