Today I am Loving {217}

When your friend posts to the social-medias the picture of you and her girl having a heart-to-heart, and the comments remind you that you have a role here and are loved, though the moment itself was sweet enough.

Today I am Loving {216}

When the day has come to an end and you have taken nary a picture,  but you remember the productively buzzing office,  the "I enjoy playing this" rehearsal, the really learning piano babes, and the goodbye gathering full of sweet connecting with those you find most lovely,  and you call it: good day.

Today I am Loving {215}

When the friend and the friend 

and the nieces of the friend come  for dinner, 

and then you hang out,

working on your projects.

Today I am Loving {214}

When you return home after days away, to such a beautiful bed. 

Today I am Loving {213c}

When you spend the afternoon pizza crafting with the sibs,

before bedlam hits.

Today I am Loving {213b}

When you and this sweet beast take an introvert break. 

Today I am Loving {213a}

When there is a boy and his trains and his grandpa  

(whom he calls "grandma," but hey.)

Today I am Loving {213}

When the house is full and sleeping, and it's just you and Marlo, prowling about. 

Today I am Loving {212a}

When you have a reunion, 

laughing late into the night.

Today I am Loving {212}

When there is a boy and his trains.

Today I am Loving {211}

When there is morning food prep with the parentals;

when the being together still reminds you of the grandfather long passed but dearly missed;

when your family laughter is just so "your-family";

when there are turkey sandwiches.

Today I am Loving {210}

When you are driving through, you plop onto the radiater and drop into the deep, 

before the children come home

and show you all of their favorite things. 

Today I am Loving {209}

When you hit the week of break, you remind yourself to unwind slow, 

allow the time to breathe to heal the restless roiling I-am-barely-functioning, and bit by bit, you get yourself together.

Today I am Loving {208}

When you have got to get the project done, 

but at least you can do it in your pajamas.

Last Weekend I was Loving: Getaway Edition

When you go for a water side walk, 

in the waning of the day.

Today I am Loving {207a}

When it's late on a wintry Sunday night,

but you need a round of 

before-you-leave-the-country milkshakes.

Today I am Loving {207}

When the afternoon is angry, 

and you batten down the hatches.

Today I am Loving {206}

When the friend is in town and the day is cold and blustery, you huddle in the cottage, speak the heartfelt things, make scones.

Today I am Loving {205a}

When all the junk you've been collecting rolls away, 

Holy Spirit soft like rain.

Today I am Loving {205}

When you are caught in the Thanksgiving break get-out-of-towners, and you call the friend simply for someone with whom to commiserate, and she says (random) "I was thinking to stop at Barnes & Noble to get myself a treat" and you say "I was thinking to stop at Barnes & Noble to get myself a treat too!" (also random), and so you meet there, for a chat.

Today I am Loving {204}

When you have five minutes.

Today I am Loving {203a}

When the piano baby is merrily (and innocently) singing "Duck duck bo buck, banana fana fo f***" and you and his dad are dying.

Today I am Loving {203}

When the favorite conductor emails to say "Hey, will you play?" and you say "sure!" when you should have said "shouldn't," you have an early morning pajama-piano party, to get all the little notes of Handel's Messiah, back in your fingers.

Today I am Loving {202}

When you are grateful for a moment to stand together and say "hate will never be our way" 

and for the students you've been given opportunity  to know, who lead their peers in song;

When the little one stands proud with hands behind her back, smile wide, proclamation strong ("I went for a walk and I got this for you, because it was the first one I found and it had the longest tail");

When the black church and the white church hold a small dinner to say "Let's learn to listen, love, reconcile" and you approach the place, with moon glowing, promise wide.

Today I am Loving {201}

 When you all agree,

Mondays are your favorite.

Today I am Loving {200}

When you awake in time to see the sun appear, and soon enough, deer.

Today I am Loving {199a}

When it is a dark 5:30 after a briskly wandering water-side walk, and you make the Moscow Mules, whispering with the beer-cheese whisking friend, because the whole house is quiet, napping.

Today I am Loving {199}

When your dear one is transferring her day-to-day to Rwanda coming on soon, you gather with a group of amazing women in a cabin in the woods, and Saturday morning wakes up slow.

Today I am Loving {198}

When the events of this week have left you largely incapacitated,

at least there is ricotta toast.