Oh Happy Day

As I drove home last night, tunneling through the leaves cast in greys by the darkness, I reflected on my day and sighed the contentment of happiness.

This perfect gift of a day, this gift of God, wrapped in love and tied with the bow of surprise, unfolded in ways I had not planned – all the better.

Laundry danced on the lines, dried by sunshine, whipped into shape by the wondrous winds of fall, bringing that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction it always does.  If I think of purity as a Christian at all, it is like this – clean laundry on a crisp fall day.  The doing of the laundry I had planned, but the redoing, the rehanging, as piece after piece flew off, I had not.  It made me laugh, this fighting the wind – does not the wind always win?

Then there was raking leaves with two little citizens of this burg I call home, creating a pile for jumping larger and larger with each jump.  A great fan of leaf jumping myself, this time I was content to watch their jumping, running, laughing, gleeful faces and call myself blessed.  And even the tears of a small boy filled my heart, the tears shed in sorrow at the leaving, this little one who enjoys my company as I so enjoy his.

They were an interruption to my own plans, these little ones, as I agreed to watch a little girl as her mother took her baby boy across the mountains for yet another doctor’s appointment in this child’s harrowing journey towards health and wellness (Lord, may it come soon), happy to be able to serve in a small way, having the time to give, the day to share.

A friend stopped to chat.

Women spoke of important things into the night.

Prayers were shared.

Hope was spoken into being.

Poetry was shared.

Children gathered around a table and it was the joyful feast.

Another friend named the pleasure of my company out loud.

And the moon so bright it cast shadows shone on a land at peace with itself – oh, lucky, happy, blessed we.

Nothing particularly extraordinary happened, yet it was all wondrous.

A happy day indeed.


May you be blessed with the happiness of days spent well in the company of those who bring joy by their presence.