And For That, I Am Truly Grateful

By morning, it had already been a lovely day.

I woke to a cheerful daybreak, the moon floating high above the roof of the garage, smiling at us as the coffee was poured.

At Mark's departure, his daily dismissal at precisely 7:12, I fired up my laptop, checked my personal email, today's Moxie Fab World blog post, my work email, and Facebook, engaging myself in the calm, sweet solace of routine.

I proceeded to fix some glitches in the blog post, noodled around a little on Etsy, decided not to update my Facebook status because I didn't have anything particularly interesting to say, and answered a few work emails mostly involving change approvals for projects that will be appearing in an upcoming special issue.

It made for the beginnings of a perfectly regular day.

I made some oatmeal with a tablespoon of ground flax seed, sugar, and skim  milk and waited patiently for some material to arrive in my work inbox, without which I could not begin.

At which point Beccah came downstairs, coiffed and spiffed, ready to take on the world--25 minutes early.

It was then that my morning began to shine.

For Beccah is a new girl now that she's single again. She broke up with her boyfriend of 2 1/2 years over three weeks ago, the official discussion in which both mutually and respectfully agreed that the relationship could never work has taken place, and she is moving on.

And by new girl, I mean empowered, in charge, focused, and happy.

As I drove her to the Trax train that will take her to the bus that will get her to class (breaking up with a boyfriend who also has a car changes everybody's lives), I suddenly felt so grateful.

• Grateful to have the opportunity to help her out in her time of need.
• Grateful that she has taken control of her life, knowing how difficult it was for her to let go of someone she loved so deeply.
• Grateful that she has come back to us with such enthusiasm after having spent so much time with someone who didn't love us as much as she.
• Grateful to have shared the epiphanal Saturday in which she cried with joy as she enumerated all the deep discoveries she had made about herself in yoga class that morning.

Grateful that my Beccah is back.

Upon my return, I acknowledged my gratitude with a walk around the neighborhood--the crisp, electric air glowing in the morning light. Each step felt lighter than the last as I passed familiar houses and timeless landmarks. Strangers waved, dogs barked, and resting fields wished me well.

Perhaps they could sense my appreciation. Perhaps they could see the bouyant spirit that was born in me from the ride I gave my daughter that morning to the train. Perhaps they could feel the happiness that surely must have been beaming from my every extremity as I passed. 

For I am grateful. There's nothing like watching your child make strong, solid decisions for herself, knowing that she is embracing what she needs to be truly happy.

As a parent, it just doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

And for that, I am truly grateful.

Comments

[Marilyn Moore]

I can really identify with you as a parent. It sounds like Beccah is making good decisions and has learned a lot from life's recent experiences. It does make a parent proud to see that growth.

[Daniela]

Wow, what a sweet story. Beccah is growing up.

[Andi Sexton]

Another beautifully written article/post...

Yeah for Beccah!

Some of us are in our late 40's and still battle with those types of decisions.. of doing the right thing and being a big girl..and you know, my mom also worries about me:)

[Beccah]

Those hard decisions wouldn't have been so easy to make without all the love and support of my family! :D Love you mom!

Beccah

[Vanessa Menhorn]

Thanks for sharing this experience of a mother - Beccah is so lucky to have such a loving and supportive family! (I am grateful for my loving family, too - but they`d never share their thoughts like you do and this is so precious!) All the best to you Beccah!

[Miss Pat]

Aw...yay Beccah, yay Cath....