Life is Good - Part Two

This morning when I crawled out of bed at 6:30am, exhausted from yet another night that my two year old did not sleep through the night, I felt like I was the most tired person on earth. Then I remembered my sister and her new born baby and figured her night had probably felt a little longer than mine.

When I was pulling out of my driveway at 7:01am on my way to work, I felt like I had to be the only one up in the whole city.  But then I saw my neighbour who was also on her way to work.  We chatted about our jobs (we are both teachers) and how great our students are and I thought that I was actually really lucky to have, not only a job, but a job that I love. When I got to Tim Horton’s for my bagel, I realized the woman behind the counter had been at work since before 6am and the same for the teenager at the local coffee shop who had started work when I was crawling out of bed (yes, I sometimes make two stops in the morning…don’t judge).  Clearly, I was not the only one up, not by a long shot.

Yesterday, I had been on the phone complaining to a friend that my husband was going to be away overnight and that I was going to have to be alone with my kids (ok, that sentence makes me sound like a terrible mother but I am going with it anyway) and then I remembered that her husband is gone from her and her three kids for the better part of the year for work.  I felt a little insensitive.

I was so tired tonight that I dreaded having to put my kids to bed (it is currently 9:38pm and none of them are actually sleeping yet).  But as I was tucking in my baby and as my five year old was showing me her latest dance moves on my bed, I remembered that some parents don’t have their children to tuck in anymore and they would trade all that they own to have one more bedtime with their beautiful child.

It is easy to complain about the things in our life that we have and take for granted. It is even ok to complain once in a while. We are only human. The thing is, many of the things I complain about the most are some of the best things in my life.  So, let me take this moment to acknowledge how truly fortunate I am in this life.  I need to be a little less dramatic and show a lot more gratitude for all that I have.

It is a beautiful thing that I can wake up early, stop for a tea on the way to a job that I love, call one of my best friends for a chat and have a cuddle each night with my kids before they fall asleep.  Life is good and I know that. I just need to remember it more often.