As I covered this oatmeal can with Sara and Avery’s artwork, and then lined the edges with ribbon, and filled it with Sara’s new favorite art supply (pipe cleaners for the making of woops…loops in case you don’t speak 3 year old), I couldn’t stop thinking this single thought: if I were working, this would be an idea I read about in Parenting Magazine and thought it was cute. Done. End of Story.
I keep an empty oatmeal canister tucked in the back of my lazy susan at all times, just in case someone needs an emergency shipment of cookies (a trick I learned from my Grandma). I threw this together one Sunday afternoon because seriously….WHY NOT?!!! Because I have a sinful ego, I should tell you that I did not read about this in Parenting. I invented this classy doo-whatzit all on my own. Gaze in awe at my use of glue, ribbon, trash, and a labeling machine.
I see these puffs of grateful all over my world, all day and every day: I just returned from Sara’s School Science Fair. I’ll blog it in full because we had a ball, but seriously, things I would never have time to do a year ago (‘lest you think a 3 year old could create a Science Fair Exhibit sans help…and by “help” I mean…A LOT OF HELP). Today, my family ate homemade bread, made entirely from whole foods. They ate all natural real jelly with Sunbutter on bread I made because I love them so much I could burst from all the joy they bring me. Who has time to MAKE BREAD? What is this, 1909?!
Yesterday I had the opportunity to see my Dad give a speech on Downsizing at The Sunspot. There are no words for the AWESOMENESS of my Dad and what 30 years of keen observation of human behavior has taught him. His carbon footprint has to be measured with a microscope. Sorry, electron microscope. Trust me, when I showcase his use of small spaces, your jaw will drop. Unless you know a lot of folks who live comfortably in a gorgeous 500 square foot house and drive a Prius. What person gets to go to a speech on a Tuesday at noon? Just because it interests them?
I loved working. Working was great. But life has many paths, and mine brought me here. To a place of new skin. To place of new adventures. And right now, I’m more grateful than tired. More grateful than wishing I had more money, newer clothes, a tricked out house, and a chance to eat a hot meal uninterrupted.
Oddly grateful that I had the time to make this cheesy and somewhat lop-sided WOOP holder that represents a beingness in my present. A lack of running from here to there so quickly that I forgot to create a solution to my pipe cleaner storage issues (don’t we all have those?!). I feel like a long series of filters have been lifted from my eyes, and I can SEE JUST THIS MOMENT. And really LIVE in it. So I’m grateful Lord, and thank you so very much.
2 responses to “Grateful #3”
Well, the rest of us are grateful for YOU! I am grateful that you remind me of what is important in life and of how to slow down. I am grateful that blogs were invented so that the tiny threads of our lives and our friendship can be stretched across a nation at 2 am. XOXO to you!
Finding joy and peace in small moments is truly a gift and your gift will live on within your girls. Do you ever wonder how they will remember you when they grow up? Isn’t it nice to think they will think of you when they smell warm bread and see a handcrafted piece of art? You’re a leader and innovator in your industry – the Mom industry. You have more colleagues than any other profession in the world. As one of your colleagues, I want to thank you for sharing your inspiration.
Also, congrats on the high fructose elimination. I’d love to hear more about the science behind the elimination of the corn based sugar chemical compound when the mood strikes you.