The Hours In The Day

I am thankful for crock pots that simmer and fill my house with the smell of food I can pretend I actually took the time to cook, on the days when I have no time to cook.

I am grateful for tile-floor vacuums that make sweeping a thing of the past.

I am grateful for dishwashers, coffee makers, and myself when I have the forethought to set those things before I go to bed, and pick out my clothes for the next day.

I am grateful for calendars and schedules, even though these are things I used to loathe. They might be nerdy and uptight, but they make my life easier and keep me from forgetting to go to a meeting, a parent/teacher conference, or to feed the cat.

I am grateful for new cars, warranties, free maintenance and better gas mileage, and the very good friends who pushed me, encouraged me, and helped me make that happen. A reliable car takes so much stress away, and less stress somehow feels like more time. More time to watch movies with the kids, garden in the short stint of good weather that Arizona has between March and April, cook meals, take drives, write, just be.

There aren't enough hours for the things I want to do. For all the cuddles I want from my babies, all the kisses I want to give them, all the things that need to get done because I'm the only one to do them.
It's a reality we all live with, a balance we all strive for.
But this is a moment for being grateful. Grateful for the things that make life a little easier, and for the time that we do have.
And it's a moment for hope. Hope that we have the presence of mind and the clarity of heart and soul to make the most of it.