A Glimpse

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our lives that we forget to just be thankful for what we have. It's easy in this day and age to get caught up in politics or "global warming" or the high gas prices and the list goes on but when we stop and think about it, for most of us anyway, life is very good. Now don't get me wrong it can always get better. Am I making the money that I want to make right now? No. Am I satisfied with my life's achievements so far? Somewhat. But I may never reach those particular goals and I can't spend my entire life waiting to get to that point before enjoying what I have now. Sometimes we get a glimpse of how good our lives are when we least expect it and that's what I want to talk about today.

This last Sunday was Mother's Day. That day when we honor our beloved mom's for everything they do and have done for us in our lives. My family and I spent a quiet day at our home and just relaxed. My wife got up early and as is her routine made her coffee and read the newspaper out back and listened to the wind in the palm trees. (She loves that sound). It was a beautiful Florida day and the temperature while in the 80's was offset by the wind. All in all it was great weather. I joined her a short time later and also enjoyed a cup of coffee. We both just sat there in silence and took in the day. It was wonderful.

About 3-4 hours later my mom and dad arrived. My wife and I floated in the pool while my mom took a nap and my dad read his new book. A little while later we enjoyed some snacks of fresh fruit and cheese and crackers and some artichoke dip. Afterwards, we enjoyed some more time in the pool and once again just took in the day. Eventually it came time to eat dinner and because it was Mother's Day my dad and I would cook the meal and my two teen aged daughters would lend a hand. We put the steaks on the grill and then made the rice and broccoli while my daughters assembled the salad. All the while the "moms" relaxed outside. The time came for us to eat and after blessing the food we partook of the meal and had relaxing, interesting conversation. After the meal my dad, my daughters and I began the cleanup and I took dish washing duty while the girls cleaned off the table and helped to dry and put away the dishes and the pots and pans.

At one point my dad moved over to the piano and started to play. He used to tune pianos so he has and incredible ear for music. He can just sit down and without knowing the song start to play it from ear without sheet music. I guess it was about this time that it struck me. With my dad filling the house with music, my daughters engaged in playful banter with one another while drying the dishes and me with my hands in the sink cleaning that I had a brief moment of clarity. I don't know why it hit me as hard as it did but ever since it happened I knew I would write about it. I realized in that moment that my life, while not perfect, is very good. I realized that although there were a hundred different places I could be in this world had I chosen different paths, at this moment in time there was nowhere else in the entire world that I would rather be and I thanked God for that moment. For that glimpse....of happiness.