Finding Joy Every Day

Sometimes you just wake up in a bad mood. This morning my darling Meg was at my bedside at 6 am, just 7 minutes after Justin left for work today. She wanted her Dora surprise. I had no idea what she was talking about and she was getting mad about it. A few minutes into the incoherent conversation she decides she's going to be happy with a yogurt instead. About an hour later she comes up to me and tells me she thinks the Dora surprise was a dream. She had a dream that was real to her and was mad I wasn't up to speed on it.

Earlier in the week my neighbor dropped by. She had a stack of Parenting magazines. She said, "I don't know why I am getting these. I didn't subscribe to them. I can't use them and I thought you could." After staring blankly at her, I took the magazines, said thanks and went in to shut the windows that are on her side of the house. I am not sure she meant anything by it, but it really made me think how loud my voice could really get and how much of my life my neighbors knew about that I don't want them to. I know a little too much about them too. Windows in the back of the house now remain shut and Meg has lots of magazines to cut pictures out of. Oh, I got a new dinner recipe too. Can't wait to try it.

We had a friend stop by with her kids the other day. Meg and her little boy are close to the same age. Meg wanted to play Hide-n-Seek with him. She brought him to her favorite hiding place and told him, "You stay here and hide. I will go and count. I will be right back." And off she went. The best part was, he stayed there.

After Meg's latest reading lesson she got out the Children's Songbook. It's a collection of Primary songs for children in our church. She loves to bring it to me, randomly open it and have me sing her the song. We had a little sing a-long today. So sweet. After I was done, she remained on the couch to sing on her own. I hear this from the kitchen, "Mary wants me for a Sunbeam, sunbeam, sunbeam. Mary loves me and wants me to be a sunbeam for her." So I ask, "Who's Mary?" "You know", she says, "Row, row, row your boat, Mary down the stream. She wants me to be a Sunbeam today." Later she sang the same Sunbeam tune with the words "Daddy wants me for a prayer." Several times.

Sometimes in the day to day with the laundry never ending and the dishes stacking up and the kid messes and never ending project lists and meetings and commitments, it's really hard to remember why we are all here. To have joy and be joyful. I am so grateful today for my darling daughter who tries my patience more than anything and brings joy to my heart every day. I am going to try and pay a little more attention to the joyful, uplifting and good things around me. Won't you join me?