Home for a rest

I have to preface this by saying that last week we heard that friends of ours are dealing with a devastatingly ill child, news that makes it feel somewhat awkward to be expounding on the minutiae of daily life. And yet, what else does one do when faced with something that absolutely clarifies not only how helpless you are, but also how much there is to be grateful for? Hearing this news made me that much more thankful to be able to eat ice cream bars on the sofa and putter in the garden and go for long walks with Liam on the weekend. At bedtime I read him an extra story or two, and hugged him that much tighter before putting him in his crib. Priorities clarified. It was also that much easier to turn a blind eye to the mounting piles of dishes on the counter and shoes by the door, the chaos that ensues when we are home for any length of time (in this case, six days straight). It wasn’t until last night that I finally loaded the dishwasher and ran the vacuum through while Chad tackled the mountain of laundry, and we restored the house (at least somewhat) to working order. And this morning, as I left the house for work, I think I heard it give an audible sigh of relief.