present

"I am convinced that the purest form 

of spirituality is the ability to accept the 

“sacrament of the present moment”

and to find God in what is right in front of me."   

- Father Richard Rohr

So....its not whooping cough!  But my sweet little man ran a fever for 6 days.  He's finally back at school this afternoon, and his first ever - oh be still my heart - Christmas program tonight.  After 4 days, Sage's fever is gone too.

I strained something doing a huge happy dance when we didn't have to quarantine. But we've still been in our house for the last 4 days because of the whole Ryan-being-gone-kids-having-fevers thing.  I'm such an extrovert that I've developed a tick.  And you know that amazing stuff I imagined him doing while he was away?  Its even better than that.  Here's the picture he sent me of the coffee stuff at their break time:  Who does coffee like that?!  Geez.

Its gourmet everything.  Last night he went to an Ohio State basketball game.  Box seats.  Free.  And there's turn-down service, with lindt truffles every night!! 

But here's the silver lining of these days:  As Rohr says, "accepting the sacrament of the present moment"...

This morning, I heard hundreds of birds in the tree outside, singing the bird Doxology so deafeningly loud.  I went to the door and let in the cold air and listened, totally filled and lifted up by the holy in their song.  I went to get my camera and opened the door again far too loudly, and they were off.  I was left with the bare branches and my warmed-up insides.  A week ago, I was so distracted I wouldn't have heard them at all.

 

We decorated gingerbread houses.  I have these teeny tiny, ever so small really, control issues which usually make doing this with the kids zero fun for all involved.  But this time we were breathing and laughing and God was showing up everywhere - especially with that Eva girl.

 He had to do this between sides of his house.  Sweet little fever boy.

They sell a "Hannukah House", which works out verrrrry well for little Miss Frozen.  Elsa lives in a gingerbread house now too.   

And look what I got:

"Tonya I love you so much that I could love you forever" from Riv last night.  Makes my insides hurt it feels so good.

So today....bigtime thankful for returning health....and centered by the chance to be present again.  Here I am, getting all these presents around for the holidays, and at the risk of sounding like a cliche with this pun, this is SO the only present I need.  Really.