An Ordinary Day - Blessed

The alarm sounded at 5:55.  That early hour allows me to be up and started should I get a sub call at 6:30 and have to report at 7:30.  Since the schools where I sub are all at least 15 minutes away, I run the risk of cutting it pretty close anyway.  So by 6:30, the morning basics are done, the bed is made and I am fully awake.  That’s a real bummer when the phone doesn't ring.  Today my morning ritual was interrupted at 6:20 by a call from my daughter who is the morning sub caller at Gwin Oaks Elementary, which I like to call my school.  “Ah, a job,” I thought.

She hemmed around a little and then gave me a proposal.  There weren't any teacher jobs, but a special education parapro had called in sick and they wanted her to do that after she finished her morning computer classes.  (That’s because she is great with the kids and loves it.)  The problem was that yesterday she had volunteered to come into four kindergarten classrooms to help each teacher with assessment for an hour.  Obviously, doing both was not an option, so she wondered if maybe I would do her volunteer job so she could do the paid one.  So, you can guess how I spent my day.

It was actually quite delightful.  I read Lon Po Po (a Chinese Red Riding Hood tale) with one class, watched a signed version of Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks in another class, and assessed sight words with another class.  I was in "my" old Kindergarten classroom where I just connected with the kids. Getting those sweet hugs and stories just warms my heart.  It was spring picture day at school, so many children were dressed up.  One of “my” little Kindergarteners, who is just a peanut – I mean he is so little, he looks like he’s three - was wearing black dress pants, a soft aqua blue dress shirt with coordinating tie, and a black vest.  He was SO adorable!

Following that I rode with Beth, or perhaps it is more accurate to say she drove with me, to take the girls up to meet their dad for a weekend visit.  (Beth enjoys driving the new car and I enjoy being a passenger for a change.)  Supper at Chick-Fil-A satisfied everyone.  We made the trip safely in spite of a chill rain.  The return trip seemed amazingly short because Beth and I just chatted about anything and everything, solving at least a few of the world’s problems.  I’m not sure the rest of the world would like our solutions – we didn't even like some of them.

While some of our topics of conversation might have offered the opportunity for profundity, the day itself was not profound.  It was an ordinary day. Beth and I each were able to serve people in a way that really helped them. I spent time with my daughter and granddaughters and enjoyed their daily lives.  Tonight I opened a letter from an old friend from Northfield days who now lives in Montana, just connecting.  She has a son and grandchildren in the Atlanta area so the possibility of a lunch with her some time is very real. 

In my mind these are blessings from the Lord and I treasure them.  In that way they are indeed profound.