Thankful

I don't really do gratitude journals, but I am deep to my core grateful for the gifts of my life and I work hard to show that in the way I live out my life.  I am especially grateful for weekends.  Those blessed days to intentionally connect with the kids. Not that I am not the other 5 days of the week, but I work out of the home for a big chunk of the weekday hours.  So having time to do Lissa's hair on a Saturday or Sunday is one of my treasures.  I love trying out new styles, though she is feeling less into that of late.  This weekend she actually let me do a slightly different style with a bantu knot on the side front and the twists going to the back. She looks spectacular and I hope she will let me freshen this up Friday night so it will look sharp when we go visit Fiona in the city this weekend.  Even when she hates sitting, there is a deepening of  a bond that comes from the intimacy of working with her hair.

I got to see two movies with Rob this weekend.  He chose one for us on Friday night and we both hated it.  I sort of knew i would as it was a Russell Crowe flick and I have not ever really seen many movies of his that I liked. But it was such a snore it was hard to keep my fingers moving on the piece work while we watched.  Even Rob hated it and he found a "second try" for us at the library the next day and shyly asked if we could try another movie the following night.  This one had great martial arts scenes, I was sold! LOL

Chet had a workshop today at church on LGBTQI issues and did really well.  I am beyond grateful to my faith community for reaching out to help him be a part of this. It is helping him to sort out his feelings and take steps at finding his way emotionally and socially in the world.  To be a person of color brings a set of issues to the table.  To add to that a disability and a different view of ones gender identity is a bit more than I think any one person should be given. But that is what his situation is and I am thankful that he has a safe place and a caring forum.

While Chet was at the workshop, I as his driver had 2.5 hours to kill waiting for him.  KC was squabbling with Lissa when we were getting ready to leave so I told him to come with me.  He and Lissa sometimes need a break from each other.  She wanted to see a video he was not into etc. etc.  So he and I spent that time together playing on the playground at church, drawing and painting together, playing hangman and at the end, just walking quietly through the empty sanctuary.  Our building is very spare and does not have a lot of fancy adornment.  But he turned to me and said how peaceful it was and how much he loves being in "big church" when it is so quiet and still.

And I am thankful for friends who invited us to a birthday party Saturday  and even though they are meat eaters extraordinaire had the most amazing array of vegetarian foods for my family and the one other veggie family that was there.  My own family doesn't do that!!

Truly I am heading into the work week very blessed.