Day Four

Today was a tough start for a multitude of reasons. I wasn't really sure if I would be able to remember to make it to day four with what a foul and temepermental mood I was in from lack of sleep and illness issues. As I was sitting in the physical therapist's office I was slapped in the face literally with a reminder as I was trying to leave the bathroom. A woman exiting was holding her copy of the 29 Gifts Book in her right hand. As I opening the door with my left, she was trying to push the door open with her left and smacked me right in the head. hmm I wonder if that is a sign!

So as I was sitting with my head slightly hurting, because I had already had a sinus headache, a little boy came into the room looking like he was a little mad at the world. I decided then and there that my gift for day four was to give the gift of kindness. I decided that I was going to try and turn that little boys frown upside down and make him smile.

I thought the first thing that I needed to ask him was how old he was. The woman that was working with him gave me an odd look, luckily I was wearing my school badge and she noticed it therefore allowing her to be a little more relaxed. He was four, "Thank you Lord!" I said in my head. I now had a point of reference for where I could start my conversation. I started to ask him about if he was in preschool and if he had a name. He was beginning to warm up a little. Then we talked about how his day had been and what letter they were working on. His eyes lit up. He loved the letters "o" and "c". I told him I new the word that was just right for him. C-O-O-K-I-E-S and it is a yummy word too. He smiled and began to tell me about the time at Christmas that they made cookies that were so good he ate almost all of them himself.

I was then called into the therapists office to work on my knee. His adult friend put her arm on mine as I passed by. She had small tears beginning to well in her eyes. She leaned in and whispered, "He can't make cookies anymore with his family. He was taken away just after Christmas." As I walked away I was happy he had at least one memory to hang on to.

It made me think about my childhood and some things that had happened. I am not sure I can say I have a lot of warm fuzzies, because I really don't. However, I do have one of my mom before she died. I was three and in the kitchen sitting at our sunflower kitchen table and she was at the stove making pancakes. She was flipping them in the pan and singing. It is one of my only memories of her and I cherish it. My day has changed and yes I stopped feeling sorry for myself and for my lack of sleep and the pain I am in and gloried in the fact that I have a life and it is quite good. It is my life and for the most part I am pretty happy.