Vitamin Birthday

I woke up at 5:20 am this morning, which is highly amazing since I was born at 5:20 am exactly 32 years ago. My eyes just popped open and directed themselves to the clock, and I thought, huh.

The sun was just rising, and through our window the clouds showed pink against the dusky sky. I thought Huh again in an ‘I-never-knew-I-could-see-the-sunrise-without-leaving-my-bed’ kind of way, and I thought, That’s beautiful.

Then I went back to sleep.

But later, when the day really started, it turned out to be just as surprising. The night before, we’d been gifted with a mountain of freshly-picked raspberries, which we smothered in freshly-picked peaches and freshly-picked honeydew. It was the breakfast of champions – completely only by my first ever “Sarah’s Choice” gift-giving arrangement.

“Would you like your present from all of us now or later?” My husband innocently asked me as we concluded our meal. Well, I’m no dummy: Later gives me less time to enjoy it! In a few moments, I was swathed in the girly pinkness of a cozy robe, amidst the oohs and ahs of my children. “That’s from us?” They asked in amazement. They didn’t know they had such good taste.

Next, I got to open a gift card for my first-ever facial: It was shaping up to be a whole day of firsts!

Then I got to play piano in preparation for my first-ever involvement in our church’s praise and worship tomorrow.

Then I got to sing silly songs with Raffi (and my five-year old son) for an enjoyable hour as we drove to a neighboring city, the enjoyment of which was considerably heightened by having just consumed my first stout cup (and a half) of coffee in many weeks. The caffeine, I think, also aided in my propensity for tears when, after another, less enjoyable hour, I found myself still driving in circles on the wrong side of the big city. Thank God for letting someone (and you k now who you are) answer their phone and look up my location on the internet, or I’d still be asking directions … and crying … on my birthday.

But all’s well that ends well – and before long Ethan and I had our errands completed – I’d bopped my way back home – and who should show up but a friend, eager to buy the behemoth fridge that’s been sitting on our front porch, reminding us of our American excesses? How lovely to send this beauty to a good home where it’s really needed – and equally lovely to recoup a decent part of our expenses in purchasing it! Now I can dream of a porch swing … or at least a clear view of my driveway out the front window. Hooray!

And thus, the day began to wind down … but not before my kitchen rose up and created some masterpieces under my caffeinated instruction: Whole wheat, virtually sugar-free donuts (which were, by the way, phenomenal – especially since they were shaped like hearts) – Really Good Potato Salad (also vegan) – more fruit and veggies, including corn on the cob – and apple cider. Wow! We decided the donuts had only 32 calories each, so that puts me at a mere 128. I’m pretty proud of that!

Oh, and did I mention the dinner company? A row of four smiling young faces – we added in my nephew Levi to the mix – and another of smiling older ones – Charley and Rachel came along, too. They brought flowers with them that smell like heaven, and music, too – the completed version of a song I’d written for Charley many years ago. So again, another first: I’ve never been performed for on my birthday!

We topped off the day with a sunset walk and a brisk game of tag. Levi motored around the grass flapping his arms and squealing … and the rest of us did about the same thing in varying degrees of adultness. My husband read the Bible to me before I fell asleep, and this is what I heard: “O God, You are my God; earnestly I will seek You. … Preserve my life from fear of the enemy … You crown the Year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalm 63-65)

Today was a love note from my Savior. I count myself amazingly blessed.

Vitamin Lockout

It was late. Too late, really, to be proud of. My seven-year old son Jared had been asking me all morning if I could please watch his new trick on the tree. Daddy had given him a length of webbing, and after fashioning a makeshift elevator, Jared rapidly progressed to Trapeze Training 101. His body flailed and flapped at the end of that rope like a flag in an afternoon breeze.

But now it really was afternoon, and in the hum of my busy day, I hadn’t yet taken the time to oblige him. “I’ll be there in just a minute,” I’d murmured more than once. But this time, I really meant it. I set down my knife, left the tomato half-sliced, and sauntered out the front door.

“Here I come,” I announced feebly.

“All right!” Jared hollered as he sped past me toward ‘his tree. My arrival garnered far more enthusiasm from him than I inwardly felt: I’d been at the grindstone all day, and my energy reserves were shot.

Jared’s, however, couldn’t have been better. He performed a stellar Ropes routine on his webbing, beaming at my coveted attention. When it was all over, I gave him a round of applause and a short wave, then gathered my two younger children and headed back toward the house and my work.

But this was not to be. Ethan, my five-year-old, had dutifully closed the door behind him.
Sorry, Mom, his blue eyes seemed to say as I struggled with the unyielding doorknob. I guess you taught me too well.

We tried the back door. We checked the windows. And soon, it was official: Unless I wanted to walk barefoot to the nearest neighbor’s house, we’d be stuck outside until my husband came home.

I could have screamed – but I just did not have the energy.

Instead, I sat down on the back porch – gathered my four-year old daughter into my lap – and gave her a squeeze. I lay on the grass and watched the boys on the swing. I stared at the sky – and I felt my blood pressure go down. Later – much later – when my husband finally arrived home – he found a much-improved wife from the one who stepped out the door a while earlier. The kids, too, sensed the difference, and though our dinner had to wait due to unexpected delays … no one really seemed to mind.

Could I have prevented this hour-long delay? Perhaps. But sometimes ,I think getting locked out of my ‘normal’ life is a blessing. Maybe I could have gotten more done that day – but who would have suffered in the process? Maybe I’ll schedule in a few more ‘accidents’ like this: They could be good for my health!