Every once in a while, I am struck by the astonishing grace of a moment in time. It hits me with a comforting thud in the middle of a mundane moment. Like tonight… lounging on the couch (what a luxury that it… not often indulged in and so it remains a luxury) and listening to father and daughter practice the pace of strumming a ukulele. They pass the instrument back and forth, teaching and learning, easily and with (surprisingly) no conflict. The song fits the laid-back evening with its simplicity. Nothing else is needed. The blessing of the moment washes over me. I am aware of it more acutely, perhaps, since my older daughter will leave for college in less than two weeks… and we will not see her again for a whole year.
Thankfully, the pace of my life has slowed so that I can enjoy these evenings together. Last year about wore my strings out, I was strumming so fast. Now I can relax into a saner rhythm that includes time to simply be with my family. Nighttime crickets, drying laundry, silky dog ears, and breathing next to my husband in bed; moments of grace in a stressful world. Moments that hold me together.