10.09.2016

Just Like That Hour Today


Today I've been mostly curled up at home on this blustery Sunday feeling very sick with a sinus infection, but happy too, as it's my birthday. Despite having to cancel the babysitter for dinner out last night, a brunch party with friends this morning and a debate dinner party with friends tonight, I'm still feeling surrounded by love. I got to read in bed this morning while my husband made breakfast and my kids made birthday cards for me downstairs. I built Lego with Xavier and read stories with Georgia. We went for a slow walk through our neighborhood park and the kids splashed in the creek. Family and friends called, skyped, emailed and texted. Xavier and Christian baked a cake while Georgia and I napped. Christian roasted a chicken for dinner and we watched spellbound as Hillary beat Trump soundly in the second-to-last debate. Champagne remained corked in the fridge, but that can be enjoyed all the rest of my birthday month.




I think about this somewhat ordinary day in my beautiful life and I feel so grateful for all of it. My extended family and all my friends are healthy and happy. I hear my kids laughing and calling, Mommy, Mommy! I have a warm home in a safe neighborhood. I feel so lucky, so blessed and I don't ever want to take this for granted. 



And in a sweet bit of serendipity, the book I was reading in bed this morning? Joyce Sutphen's poems. A few hours later my friend Kat sent me this poem by Sutphen I'd never read before, which captures the beauty of moments in a life. Yes, it does make me want to go write a list poem of memorable moments in my life. Thanks, Kat. Thanks to all of you for your love and friendship, today and everyday.



Book of Hours

There was that one hour sometime
in the middle of the last century. 
It was autumn, and I was in my father's 
woods building a house out of branches 
and the leaves that were falling like 
thousands of letters from the sky. 

And there was that hour in Central Park 
in the middle of the seventies. 
We were sitting on a blanket, listening 
to Pete Seeger singing "This land is 
your land, this land is my land," and 
the Vietnam War was finally over. 

I would definitely include an hour 
spent in one of the galleries of the 
Tate Britain, looking up at the
painting of King Cophetua and 
the Beggar Maid, and, afterwards 
the walk along the Thames, and

I would also include one of those
hours when I woke in the night and 
couldn't get back to sleep thinking
about how nothing I thought was going
to happen happened the way I expected, 
and things I never expected to happen did—

just like that hour today, when we saw 
the dog running along the busy road, 
and we stopped and held on to her 
until her owner came along and brought 
her home—that was an hour well 
spent. Yes, that was a keeper.

~ Joyce Sutphen



1 comment:

  1. Happy Happy Birthday dear sister! You truly have built a wonderful life for yourself and your family-made all the sweeter with your gratitude and humility. Love you!

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