Lights Out.
5:15am: Phone alarm goes off as it does every day at this time. And I mute it…as I do every day at this time.
5:57am: Sweet talk the coffee maker into one more pot. It’s on its last leg. Walk down the hall to the boys’ shower since ours has a hole in it. Note to self: Our dog, Franklin, is impossible to see in the dark, and his tail is apparently sensitive to weight.
6:03am: Unfortunate discovery that Franklin forgot to wipe off the toilet seat after drinking. Must remember to fill his water bowl.
6:36am: At work. Sun peaking through the blinds. Coffee’s hot. Shirt’s stained. Chest with 2nd degree burns. Plenty of time for the day to turn around. Significant contribution made to the swear jar.
7:33am: Phone call from the boys as they head off to school. Charles Henry reminds me that I owe him two packs of football cards.
7:41am: Received call from our landscape designer friend who tells me she’s solving our ongoing lawn issue. Stated there’d be people walking the property over the next few days – all at her expense.
7:58am: Received call from a doctor’s office. Insurance won’t cover a recent procedure for one of the boys. She called to let me know, as it happens, that the doctor has decided not to bill for it. No cost? Rubbed my still-burning chest in disbelief. Thanked her for their generosity and committed to pay at least the doctor’s cost, right? We chatted a few minutes, and I told her I owed her a huge hug. (Nervous laughter on her end followed by silence.) Call ended.
9:57am: Received a sweet note from my oldest son. Am left wondering, “How could the apple have fallen so far from the tree?”
10:27am: Mary Lisa, family hero and mother of four, brought me a chocolate croissant from Panera. Sadly, she took half – the larger half. An unexpected treat.
12:20pm: Back at the desk after a quick work out. Eating a lunch of granola and half a serving of gluten-free Cheetos. Okay, maybe two servings – whatever. I blew through the sandwich meat earlier in the week and the lettuce in the fridge looked more like a baseball glove. I passed.
2:00pm: Conference call. Really hungry. Wished I’d have eaten the baseball glove after all.
3:48pm: Buying a camera to shoot video for centsyouasked. Look out!
3:53pm: The sales associate and I are talking camera stuff when one of his associates approaches with, “Sir, you have fabulous hair.” Before flattery could make its way to my ego, she added, “Wow, you went gray early, huh?” “Yes,” I murmured, “thanks for noticing.”
3:54 – 4:29pm: Replayed the hair comment and second guessed my choice of camera stores. Maybe I should have purchased a non-slick mat for the shower or new tennis balls for my walker?
5:26pm: Picked up William from football practice. He was on the less fortunate end of a close-line tackle today. Spent the ride home talking about his plans for fall soccer.
6:45pm: Nick finally home from spring practice. Can we please eat?! Calzones. My favorite.
7:24pm: Left the dishes on the table in a sprint to the couch for the NFL draft. Young men realizing their childhood dreams. Some are gracious. Some are boisterous. Favorite moment was Paxton Lynch, QB from Memphis, being taken by the Denver Broncos. Overwhelmed with emotion and counting his blessings before counting his dollars. Great experience to share with the boys.
10:19pm: All are in bed, and I’m scraping tomato sauce off dinner plates. Thankful for the day and that I even have the need to wash dishes other than my own.
Lights out.
Side note: Today was my birthday. I thought it might be interesting to chronicle the day for posterity’s sake, but what I received for my efforts was something immensely more meaningful. How many times a day are comments made or conversations held that really should receive more attention than they do? In the haste of the day, what situations arise that are glossed over, at best, and at worst, taken for granted? In the past, I’ve recommended the value of tracking how we spend our dollars and our time. And I’ve questioned what we’re paying attention to – knowing that attention leads to a direction, which leads to a destination.
So what are we missing? Maybe it’s time we keep tabs on our opportunities as well?
Opportunity: a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. Reading back over this, I’ve noted no fewer than seven opportunities to express gratitude, several teachable moments, a few bouts of humility, and a time or two where I could have handled things differently…but who’s counting.
And I guess that’s the point, now isn’t it?
