Tag Archives: love

Transitional Woman

Finding Joy in Every Day

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Beach quote

Morning came early today. Ironically, it was no earlier than any other morning but, after several stress filled days, my eyes felt heavier than usual. However, my heart was singing because I knew that, within a few short hours, I would be on my way to San Diego where I would give my stress wings and let it fly away.

My flight touched down well before noon  today, and it was during our final decent into San Diego that I first caught a glimpse of the ocean, that beautiful vast blanket of blue. My heart leaped, filled with joy and excitement. Then, while lost in my reverie, I began mentally listing the joy-filled moments that had already filled my morning; the same morning that had begun just hours earlier with gritty eyes and tired bones.

In my mind, I retraced my steps and the list grew with each step:

1. My husband, who reached over and touched my arm and whispered “good morning” and asked if there was anything he could do to help before I slipped from between the covers.

2. Then, Sammy, our old Beagle, who greeted me with his big brown eyes filled with love. Though too tired to lift himself from his bed, he was too excited to contain his waggy tail.

3. My sweet, sweet A, who insisted on joining us on the ride out to the airport so she could say goodbye. She awakened without complaint and filled with excitement for me in my “girls’ week o’ fun.”

4. There was Urvek, our new Guide Dog for the Blind puppy, who loves without reservation and brought a smile to many weary travelers at DIA.

And, though there were many more moments of joy that filled my day, I will end this post with this extra special moment in my morning:

5. Seeing my sister’s smile when I came around the corner to baggage claim.

Though I wasn’t planning on following the suggested December NaBloPoMo “Joy” theme, it would seem joy has certainly been following me, reminding me to look and find joy in every day.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Transitional Parenting

In a fortnight’s time.

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joyWith the passing of 336 hours, the sounds and rhythm of my house will change. Delightfully so.

In 14 short days, my laundry load will increase by 25% and so will my grocery bill. I can’t wait.

Two weeks from today, sisters will be reunited and a daughter will return to her mother and father. Tears will spill and laughs will burst out.

In a fortnight’s time, with my daughter asleep in her own bed, I will sleep sounder than I have in months. And, peace will fill my heart.

Being a bit of a rebel, I haven’t and won’t be limiting my posts to the NaBloPoMo December theme, joy. However, this morning, I find I can’t contain my joy, so here I am, writing about joy.

This morning, as I waited for my coffee to brew, I glanced at the calendar and mentally inventoried my to-do list. Initially distracted, I missed the big red heart that appears directly 2 rows below today’s date on the 18th. My eyes caught just a glimpse of the red and my heart fluttered as my brain scrambled to decipher the message; 2 weeks from today, just 2 more weeks and she’s home!

Attending school 2 states away (almost 12 hours by car and, with campus close to 2 hours from the airport, a good half day of travel via bus and airplane), weekends home, including the Thanksgiving holiday, are not practical. In addition, due to scheduling conflicts and justified by the fact this is not her first year away, C’s dad and I didn’t attend family weekend in October. By the time she steps foot on Denver soil, she will have been gone almost 17 full weeks. 17 weeks since I’ve held her in my arms. 17 weeks since I stroked her hair or shared a quiet morning’s conversation. 17 weeks since I heard her squeal with excitement or heard the giggles shared between sisters. 17 weeks since I watched her and her dad head out the door for some dad-daughter time. 17 long weeks, more than 25% of a year, not long in the big scheme of things, but a lifetime when measured by a mother’s heart.

But today, rather than measuring the time by the days she’s been gone, I measured by the days until she comes home and my heart is filled with joy; joy for the return of all things familiar and all things family. In a fortnight’s time, my daughter will sleep in her bed once more and today, my heart bursts with joy in anticipation.