The Bad and The Good of Yesterday

Yesterday was truly a stand-out kind of day.

Oh ... it was a tough one to endure. The kids were out of school yesterday and I really, really had no tolerance for a day full of bickering and tattling. I laid down the law early in the day. No warnings, no Mrs. Nice Guy. Bam! "This is the way it's going to be and if you have trouble with that, leave the room and don't play." Not pretty. But for the most part, it worked.

I had a book keeping task that I really wanted to wind up that day and send at least one box of work home with its rightful owner.

I started the job as 12:30 pm. I stood at the kitchen table as I sorted, organized and added up the months invoices. I was so tired that I thought something must be physically wrong with me. But I convinced myself to just keep on moving forward and see how I felt after I got the first phase of the job done. Sure enough, once the enormity of the job was behind me, my energy level picked up and I finished what I started.

I had plans to go out to see a family member perform in a coffee shop last night. As the day wore on, I thought "I just can't do it." I had invited Number One and Two Sons to come along but, I was intent on going alone if they didn't want to join me.

As the day wore on, I was convinced that I would be backing out of my evening plans. But ... after my book keeping was done ... after the house was clean ... minutes after my last for the last child left ... the phone rang. Son #1 was up for supper and an evening out. So ... out we went.

Energy levels completely revived, I was going on a 'date' with my son!!

The evening was perfect. I picked the restaurant (I hate being responsible for that choice) and our meal was great. Whew! That pressure was relieved. Then we headed to the coffee shop where my cousin's son/girlfriend were performing. A coffee shop where the beverage of choice is 'anything coffee'. My son is not a coffee drinker and I felt his angst as he stood in front of the vast coffee menu. Eventually, he did find something to his liking and we went and joined my cousins.

It was nothing ... but it was everything. The music this couple makes together is thoroughly enjoyable. We did some light visiting with the family that was there and I was so relieved to see my son relaxed with the situation and appearing to enjoy himself. The evening was simply not something that I could ever imagined the two of us doing, not so long ago. It was a gift.

Added to that gift was an inbox full of incredibly encouraging words sprinkled generously throughout a 15 hour period of 'life as I was living it'. It was as if some unknown, cosmic connection knew that I needed a little help getting through the day. These are just a few of the words that I received as the day wore on:

(About my job resignation)
9:48 am "It has truly been a pleasure working with you over the years"
9:53 am "... she was described as valued, hard working, amazing, and a wonderful team member. She will certainly be missed"

(In regards to a blog I set up for our dance group to try and help us practice between lessons)
3:28 pm "What a genius you are!"

(From my cousin's wife, after we spent the evening enjoying the talents of their son)
12:27 am "You are such sweet person"

Wow. What a day. As our talented singer/song writer told us last night (about a song she wrote about 'black' and 'white'), you need to experience the bad parts of life to fully appreciate the good. She said it much more eloquently than that but you get the idea.

For me, the day was full of small 'black' moments. But it made the 'white' ever so much sweeter.