How to Have a Good Day!

Mondays are always a flurry at my house. Everyone is slightly crabby and most of us are in denial that another week is here, so we are slow at getting things done. Today was a typical Monday morning. Our day started shortly after 6 when my husband rolled out of bed and started making his morning noises. I wake up by 6:30, which normally gives me three or four minutes before our two year old hears me moving and starts to stir. Most days she is cheerful, but this morning she woke up screaming and I spent about 10 minutes or so trying to calm her down and start the morning off a little more peacefully. By 6:40, husband leaves and I wait about 10 minutes before I start trying to wake up our other two daughters who are eight and thirteen. This morning I began trying by 6:50 and after 5-6 "wake up sleepyheads"; they were finally up by 7:20. That gave them about 20 minutes to get dressed, washed up and eat some breakfast before they had to be out the door for school.

I was standing in the kitchen toasting bagels and slabbing cream cheese on them and daydreaming about what my life with George Clooney would be like, when the eight year old came into the kitchen wearing one shoe and announced that she had looked "everywhere, but it wasn't anywhere." Just like that, George was gone.

"Where did you find the shoe you have on"," I asked her.

"Next to your bed," she said. "But the other one is gone."

I handed her a bagel and set off to find the missing shoe. I don't even bother reminding her that she is supposed to keep her shoes next to her own bed and my room is off limits to her clothing drops. This takes restraint on my part.

She was right. It was not in my room. It was in one of the bathrooms.

We finally get out the front door at 8:00. I have 10 minutes to get across town and get the eight year old to school before first bell rings.

I'm feeling pretty grumbly and even a little sorry for myself when I remember Nancy's 14 year old grandson, Justin. I met Nancy through an online coupon and refund forum. Justin has asperger syndrome, which might be a form of autism or what some would call a nonverbal learning disability. There seems to be different schools of thought on what it is and where it fits, and I don't want to debate about any of it. Suffice it to say that Justin has had a pretty tough time of things. He is her foster grandson and she said that her son's family is in the middle of adopting him.

Nancy described being at his birthday party and how surprised he was that guests arrived and brought presents for him. That they enjoyed some birthday cake and then this young man said, "Today is the best day of my life!"

She spent the night at her son's house and when Justin saw she was still there the next morning he said it again, "Today is the best day of my life!" Nancy says he often says this about little things, but she reminded him of how special his birthday had been and said, "Wasn't yesterday the best day of your life?"

Justin smiled and said, "Yes, Nana. It was, but when I woke up today I have family who loves me and any day that I have family who loves me is the best day of my life."

By the time I pulled up to the curb of my daughters school, I had a better perspective. As my eight year old was climbing out of the car, I told her to have the best day of her life!