Today I was having one of “those” days. Nothing felt right. I wanted to crawl in bed and pull the covers
over my head. It happens sometimes – not
often but each time it does, I feel lost not knowing how to rid myself of the blue
feeling. Usually, I just push through,
putting one foot in front of the other.
This too shall pass, right?
This morning I took a different approach. I went to Starbucks to sit for a few minutes
before beginning my day, hoping that a few minutes away from the hustle and
bustle of waking, feeding and dressing two precious boys would give me the
space to take a deep breath, shed the proverbial funk and start my day
anew.
I had already planned my Starbucks visit, picking out my chair
(oh how I hoped it was empty!), mentally ordered my coffee and hoping they got
the order – how wonderful it would be if my coffee ready and waiting for me
when I got there!
When I walked into the coffee shop I immediately scoped out
the scene – Yes! my seat was empty and
waiting for me. My coffee wasn't ready
yet (what?! They didn't receive my telepathic order?). However, there was only one person in front
of me – that would just have to do.
In less than a few minutes my hot coffee was in hand and I
was on my way to my seat. There was a woman in a wheelchair blocking the
entrance to the cluster of chairs I was headed towards. No problem, I just had to finagle a little to
get my large backpack containing my laptop through the small space between her
motorized chair and the leather seat at her side. I managed, looked back and gave her a smile
and made my way to my seat.
When I sat down I noticed the woman in the wheelchair was
looking at me, and smiling. I smiled
back again. A few minutes passed and I
glanced over again and she was still smiling at me so I smiled at her again. The longer I sat there, aware of her
presence, I realized her smiling face was just what I needed today.
How many blessings had I overlooked this morning alone to
get to this spot where I am now? I can’t
ignore the fact that I walked into Starbucks, a luxury this woman grinning back
at me did not have. And, here come the
tears.
You see, there was a time we thought Michael, my two and a
half year old son whom I wrote about here, could not see or hear and
wondered if he would ever walk. I know
what it is like to have a child in the hospital. I have spent countless hours at his bedside
as he recovered from major surgery or fought off an inexplicable infection. I have listened to the doctors as they have
given me prognoses that were bleak, at best.
And, I distinctly remember promising myself, over and over, that when we
got out of the hospital I would never take another day for granted.
But, today I forgot my promise. I took this day for granted. Not only do I have two healthy children at
home, Michael is doing phenomenally. He
can see. He can hear. He doesn’t walk yet but he will. Michael didn’t smile until he was eighteen
months old but now he smiles all the time.
He is making HUGE progress. And,
he loves his little brother, smiling and outstretching his arms anytime Sam is
near him. He rubs his head against Sam’s
cheek and shrieks with joy. It warms my
heart just thinking about it.
Today I was reminded of my promise never to take another day
for granted at Starbucks by a stranger. My heart has been restored to a state of gratitude. I have no doubt I will need another reminder,
I am only human, but I hope and pray that my next reminder be as gentle as the
one I received today from a beautiful, smiling woman in a wheelchair.
From our family to yours-
Kathryn
