Bad Day

You know that book Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Day?

It stars out "I went to bed with gum in my mouth, and now there's gum in my hair."

Well, I've been having that kind of day. For two days.

On Saturday we woke up with no light. By Saturday night, there was no water either. Eating sandwiches and dry cereal. Sending the kids to the river to bathe while I wash my hair and face with water falling from the rain gutter. Everyone in bed by sunset (6:30pm) and going stir crazy. I went for a run to "get away" for a bit and found myself a mile from home and completely drenched by a sudden rain shower.
Into town for my day off and I spent 3 hours trying to cash a check (it's a long story)

Tired. Worn out. Frustrated.
A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day to be sure.

But then I stop for a coffee and a cookie (chocolate makes everything better) and a moment to think before I have a collapse of emotion.

Today I ate breakfast.
Today I got 3 hugs before 6 am.
Today I woke up in a warm bed.
Today I had money to go to the grocery store.
Today God kept me safe on the highway.
Today I was loved and appreciated.

How many people don't receive those things on a daily basis, and yet I do.

One of our children was abused by her own father and feared going to bed at night.
One of our children was locked in the house without food for almost two days.
One of our children ran drugs for an older sibling at the young age of 10.
One of our children was exposed to drugs and alcohol instead of being sent to school.
Many of our children came to us with deep emotion wounds that match the physical scars.
Many of our children begged and robbed and "lived" on the streets.
It still hurts my heart to hear the stories of these precious children, even if it is the 5th, 6th, 7th time.

I have never experienced any of those things.
Perspective.

So I guess it wasn't such a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day after all.