happy

It was that kind of day.

The day when I knew I was doing what I do best. Lately, it hasn't been all that common.

But today. Oh, I knew.

Taking data, lots of it and figuring it out and reducing it and arranging it to be useful. And making it so the next person to come along could follow the process. Giddy.

Talking to a young co-worker about his MBA studies and remembering the joy of learning and wanting it for myself again. Even though I'm 54.

Waffa thanked me for class and asked me to stop and see her at her internship this summer. And that she would send pictures from her two-week educational tour of companies like Leo Burnett and P&G. Exciting!

Alaa stopped to tell me that she really enjoyed my class and that she wished I had taught her Accounting 101 class. Happy!

Telling Majid that he did it, he made it through this class even though he spent a lot of time talking himself out of the fact that he knew what he was doing. Investing!

How does it happen, this kind of day when I am full and overflowing? Overflowing with the joy of the people in my life - students, co-workers, family. The accomplishment of a team effort at work. The serendipity of a free parking spot just big enough for a Mini maneuver. Fun and laughter in the classroom. Caring so deeply for these students and celebrating their accomplishment ('cause accounting ain't the most fun class people ever take).

A celebratory dinner with husband. Connection!

It is only this, a gift from God.

And I thank Him for it.

beach

Breathtaking. Sunrise lit a flame along the horizon and it was bright as the City of God. I'm longing for that place.

Running. A lot of my footprints were washed away by the ocean. That's how life feels some days - will I leave an imprint?

An apple. Washed up by the tide, still intact outwardly, yet eaten away by a rotten spot. What's eating me?

A small skeleton, even smaller shells. Seen only by slowing down... stopping... stooping low. How much of what God wants to show me do I miss in my hurry?

shoe

One possible source of a solo shoe: little boys on a Saturday morning treasure hunt.

Two of the three rounded the corner on bikes, the third cut the corner on foot, running across the lawn. As I ran along the curb, I heard him say, "Help me." It wasn't an urgent cry, just, "Help me." Repeated. One of his friends, the spokesman said, "Someone needs to help him."

I was in an unfamiliar town, a stranger, and these were little boys - the bikers were probably six years old, and the one on foot was about four. Would I be "stranger danger"? I stopped anyway.

"Can I help?" I asked.

The spokesman looked up at me and said, "Do you know how to tie shoes?" Dead serious.

"Yes! I can even tie double knots," I replied.

"Well, he needs help."

Sure enough, when I took a good look - there was a shoe on the grass behind the littlest boy. In the haste of the chase, he ran right out of his shoe.

He jammed his shoe back on and I undid the tangled lace, then re-tied it - with my habitual double knot. I always tied my brother's shoes with a double knot. I always tie my running shoes with a double knot. Because who wants to stop in the middle of a race to tie a shoe?

With excitement, he showed me the slugs that he had collected, held in a small Frisbee. His buddy exclaimed over the roly poly bugs they had found, too. He had a jar of sticks and twigs and roly poly bugs. "There's so much stuff to get!" he exclaimed.

The pack of little boys raced ahead and I resumed my run. As I crossed the street, I glanced over just in time to see the one I'd helped look back at me with a smile and say, "Thank you!"

Did his mom wonder about the double knot?