A Good Day

Andy is on a bus right now headed up to a town called Los Alamos to play in a soccer game. Unlike a lot of other states, here in New Mexico it is not unheard of to drive 3+ hours to get to a high school sporting event. I was shocked by this fact. In Ohio, it was unheard of for us to drive any more than an hour (and that was once a season) to get some place for high school athletics. Because of this, Andy got on a school bus at 10:30 am this morning and is expected back in town around midnight tonight. I miss him today, but I am excited for him to be able to ride on a bus with his team. When you choose to become a homeschooling family things like bus rides and school dances are usually  some of things that your kids give up in order to stay home home and learn. I always love when my boys (and someday my girls) have an opportunity to experience some of the "normal" rights of passage into adulthood like riding on a school bus for an athletic event.

The other three kids at home with me today have already completed all of their school work for the day. Which makes me realize just how much of my time Andy consumes with his school work. He needs constant redirection and reminders to focus. It is unheard of for me to be finished with schooling by lunchtime. I am lucky if I can get everyone done by late afternoon when all four kids are home. All of this just means that today is going to be a good day.

None of the kids have any activities to be at this evening. Bob is coming home earlier than normal (only because he went in earlier than normal) which means that I can have some help getting everyone into bed. The sun was out this morning, but there are a tremendous amount of clouds rolling in and the afternoon is supposed to be stormy. The temperature is such that I have turned off the air conditioning and have all of the doors and windows opened. Feeling the breeze roll into the house is one of my favorite things in this world. Especially after a hot summer.

Photo courtesy of: wallbo.com

I appreciate all of the simply things about today. They are all going to make today a good day. In fact, it already is a good day.

I don't know an awful lot about many things, but I do know an awful lot about sorrow and utter helplessness. Because of this I also know an awful lot about the joys of simple pleasures. I now experience joy in areas of my life where I never would have appreciated it before.  It is a give and take. One cannot be felt without the other. And although my grief is deep and fierce, so is my joy. It is why I can seem to make the biggest deal about the smallest things on my blog. Sunny days, beautiful trails, awesome soccer games, getting through school work before lunch. All of these things mean more to me and are felt more deeply because I know the pendulum of deep emotion and how there is no controlling the swing. When life is good I want to experience its goodness to its fullest.

So, today is going to be a good day. I have much to be thankful for. There is much beauty and joy in my life and even when I hurt so deeply it brings me to my knees I also know that the pendulum is going to bring me right back up again. The joys on the other side of that swing are so worth the darkness.

Life truly is good in Las Cruces.