“ONE VERY GOOD…”

Over the holiday break, I had the privilege of spending a day with my 5-year-old granddaughter. It was one of those days when I had no pressing obligations, no tasks that needed to be done, and so I felt attentive and present to our day together. We planned our day’s activities over a morning treat–a doughnut for her, coffee for me–and then set out to accomplish them. First, we dipped balls of cookie dough into colorful sugars, tucked them into the oven, and watched them spread into wider circles of color. We played several rounds of Hide & Seek, created a house with building blocks, colored a few pages from an old coloring book, and before going home, she made two special Christmas ornaments for their family tree. We had a simple, fun-filled day of love.

I worry for my grandchildren. I wonder what kind of world, what kind of future they will have, with many concerns for all of humanity and creation.

But today we shared one very good day.

~~~~~

My sister Janet is the main caretaker of our mom, whose awareness has diminished over her 99 years. Janet spends time with her nearly every day, takes her to appointments and family gatherings, assists with her eating, decorates her room with seasonal decor, gives her manicures, and shares family memories with photos and stories. Mom sleeps quite a bit and her memory is fading, but Janet continues to love and serve her well.

And sometimes Janet sees a smile of joyful recognition in one very good moment.

~~~~~

In September, two dear friends and I gathered at BGSU to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our freshman year, the year we first became friends. Over lunch, we shared the highs and lows of our lives since we were last together, and we affirmed our long friendship even as time and distance often keep us apart. As we then walked the campus, we laughed while recalling memories of our fun and silly times, observed the many changes and new buildings, and relished our reconnection after all this time.

After years apart, we were together for one very good afternoon.

~~~~~

These stories are forming a guiding motto for me in this new year. Life is often quite challenging, sad, lonely, frustrating, demanding. We cannot fix the world or solve every problem.

But today…
We can be joyfully present; we can cherish our time with loved ones to share one very good day.
We can be patiently compassionate; we can persevere in love to share one very good moment.
We can be gratefully reflective; we can reunite and remember in sweet friendship to share one very good afternoon.

We can enter each day with a determination to bring about “one very good…” for someone. We can watch for one very good opportunity to give someone a reason for hope, for peace, for joy, for gratitude.

And when we do, we may just find that our days are creating one very good life.

(Photo by Karen)