Keeping The Space. Keeping The Faith

It's been quiet around here, hasn't it? You know what they say when the streets are empty..."there must be something going on at the playhouse." Ok, you've probably never heard that before. Some sayings are in my head, planted there by my Gran or a vision of what she would say in any given situation. I kind of like this one.

There have been no gratitude updates this week, no amateur snapshots of toilet paper rolls or kids camped in sheet forts. Posts that shine light on the fun side of everyday chaos are still locked inside my head, (if you need a grateful for today... go ahead use this if you like. I promise my feelings will not be hurt.) The blog has been neglected, abandoned, along with the laundry, in favour of handling family crisis. Actually one of us is in "crisis" the rest of us are in a state of emergency.

This morning I ran out of underwear. I should have thought while I was shuffling, updating, arranging, rearranging, scheduling and rescheduling, I should have thought to reassign laundry duty. I should have but I didn't and clean underwear is pretty important in my books. This morning I'm catching up. The washer is humming, I'm drinking coffee and checking in with my gratitude. I should have re-assigned someone to keep "The Space" updated. Keeping a grateful mindset is as emotionally significant to our family as clean boxers.

There have been great moments of gratitude this week... Michael's months of study concluded this week with his final exam on Saturday

Eman earned the last $10 he need to buy the Pokemon Black and White game. I understand that this is actually 2 separate games. He bought the Black, he'll need alot more snow to get the White version too. Lula has been spending time with friends and new shoes, KJ has been enjoying spontaneous pizza parties at school and new shoes.

I know there have been more gratefuls this week for my family. While I finish up the laundry this morning I'm going to hand over the laundry soap and the password and ask them to keep The Space Between Raindrops updated with our daily gratefuls. Now more than anytime before us this space is crucial.

As for my greatest Gratitude this week. It is the wee hours of Thursday morning that found me in the emergency department with my brother. He looked at me and said "Turn this into a Gratitude." He doesn't know it but I probably have never been more grateful than at that very moment. He also doesn't know yet but that exact moment will be the very one he will be most grateful for. For now, he works to get to that day, we work to support him and when he comes to me and wants to talk about those hours I think I'll lend him the password and ask him to share a Gratitude.

Until then there is only faith.


Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.  Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.

The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.     

Ayn RandRussian-born American Author