…it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude. – A.A. Milne

Yesterday was a great day. 

There are just those days when you say, Wow! and you think it can’t really get much better. Those days when your heart is bursting with happiness. Those days that cause tears. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of gratitude.

Yesterday was one of those days. It had been awhile since I had a heart bursting with happiness and gratitude kind of day. My fault totally. Every day should be that. But I allow the dull and doubt, the sullied and shame, the brown and blah to enter and cover the happiness and gratitude. It clouds my vision like the gray of a dreary day.

But not yesterday.

It started with a happy dog.

It continued with a call from my happy husband.

It spread when my boss came around my desk, ordered me to stand up, and then hugged me tightly while telling me we just placed a REALLY BIG DEAL in a REALLY BIG JOB that she and I had been working on for a REALLY LONG TIME. We both had tears. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of gratitude.

And then it got even better when I left to go to court and witnessed a most wonderful hearing that culminated in the judge ordering my CASA girl’s adoption date set for Valentine’s Day, CASA girl’s day of choice. A not-so-minor answer to many many prayers. More tears. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of gratitude.

The day turned to evening, and I spent my time with two large computer paper boxes of paperwork which was actually mail and financials and catalogs  and church bulletins and pictures and all of the important things that I need to save which turns into all the things that aren’t very important that I need to toss when it becomes months later…and it was so good to sort and organize and pile and TOSS.

In the middle of the purging, I spent an hour on the phone with my youngest child, catching up on life and relishing the sound of her voice that is rarely heard in these days of busyness. She couldn’t see it, but more tears. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of gratitude.

In my piling and purging, I found an envelope from cousin Dean with an old article folded that included a hand-written message from my Mama. I uncovered an envelope of pictures from Shirley that she sent to me when she was also piling and purging, pictures of my girls and my Mama in the days of Central Christian. I saw a list of gifts received from our wedding. I discovered kindergarten graduation pictures that were intended for a picture frame. I enjoyed looking through 50th birthday cards and felt loved all over again. Joy. Happiness. Gratitude.

Yawning. Satisfaction. A little daydreaming that needed to turn into night dreaming, a little more yawning…

“Ready to go to bed, Natia?”

And the day ended with a thumping of a happy tail on the couch.

Yesterday was a great day.