On this final day of January, I woke up to the darkness and the sound of rain; possibly the perfect backdrop to an old Simon and Garfunkel song and the perfect invitation for me to get out of bed. Sounds crazy right?

Today is quite the contrast of what I woke up to only a week ago. 

Usually, on such a morning I would be tempted to roll over and snug under my blankets, but not this morning. I was wide-awake by 5am.  The idea of coffee and quiet sounded too perfect.

This last week has been filled with catching up after travel and craziness of storms in the south, causing flight delays for groups that are supposed to be going on trips with Compassion. It’s been an unpredictable week of circumstances out of my control, leaving a trail of work for me to try and fix.

Some things you can fix and some things you can’t.

My daughters have been taking their finals for this semester and there has been stress in the home this week.  Everyone is trying to manage their own business.

My dog is the only living being in the home that seems to be ok with all the stress.However, today… will be different. It’s a day off and a day to read and a day to stop. Part of me feels guilty for taking off the day as there still is a bunch of work to be done and the checklist of tasks that never seems to end.  I realize though, if I don’t take time to recover from travel and trips, time will all be stolen away and I won’t ever get it back, especially with those I love the most.So, the kids are off from school and Seattle is calling for a visit. Julia is squeezing in time for us to come and steal her away from college for a day, and the five of us will be together. It sounds so good it makes my eyes all watery.  Possibly I have let life consume me this week and my family has gotten the worst of me rather than the best.

Some things you can fix and some things you can’t.

I can’t fix the fact that Atlanta has been buried in an ice storm this week leaving 24 women in the south disappointed they are delayed from getting to Ecuador.

I can fix my priorities and give my time and energy to my family. They need me and I need them.

Excited for today.