Just this...

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver


You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Shooting Practice

We took a pellet gun and two 22 caliber pistols and went shooting today.  It was a first for my sons, and they had a great time.  Micah hit almost everything he shot at, to the dismay of his older brothers.  It was a lot of fun.

Uphill climbs

Sometimes things just don't go well.  There are times when my child struggles with problems I can't solve, someone hurts my feelings really badly, my full time job feels very heavy on my shoulders, I feel like I might be getting older, and I've failed once again to be the wife that I really want to be.  Sometimes I just feel very very overwhelmed.  Did I mention sad?  Yes, sometimes I am very sad.  I have been sad, for awhile now.

Those times always seem to be broken by a long talk with a best friend, a lovely sunset, prayer to my Maker, a quote found just at the right moment, a hug from my honey, a long walk, or a co-worker who took me to lunch just to listen.

I continue to be in awe of the tender mercies from God and the kindness that often saves me.