Say "Cheese!"

The Cabinet Maker said my new job looks good on me. Apparently I was smiling when I came in (late) from work yesterday... and then there is today.

I stopped at Barnes and Nobel on my way in to sit with my friend. I bought some books (surprise!) for a few of my favorite kiddos. Perhaps I should squirrel them away until Christmas but that means practically 8 months of not enjoying them and that just won't do. Besides, these are board books and perfect for a few little hands that can't quite manage regular books.

G. is wound up again. Lots of loud singing, angry outbursts, and attempted manipulation. I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard to be pleasant when my own heart is hurting. Thankfully she is cleaned up, tucked into bed, and quiet for the moment. She is far from asleep; eyes wide open, "looking" around the room... It's going to be a long day of patience working.

Of course, that is not the hurt of my heart. This hurt comes from personal relationship issues. We all have them and we all struggle to work through them. They challenge us over and over on a regular basis. Sometimes I react in the right way, and sometimes I respond poorly. And there are those times when no matter how hard I try to think things through, no matter how prepared I think I am, the situation still manages to catch me off-guard. That was today. I'm tired enough and stretched thin enough and likely hormonal enough to want to crawl into a closet and have a good cry, except I have to be at work for the next seven days (including this one).

So, maybe say a prayer for me. Not a prayer that someone else will see things from my perspective, because that isn't really the problem, but that I will know how to respond properly when I find myself in these situations. My life is full of people (friends, family, and strangers) and I must strive to respond properly even if it is painful to that person or myself.

And because we need something to smile about at the end of this post, a cousin picture of my two youngest grandsons. :0)