We're in this Together

Never underestimate the power of the simple knowledge that someone else is experiencing the same frustrations!

ES has four meets this week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (all day). This morning, my husband asked if he could let ES sleep in an extra ten minutes if I agreed to take him to school. I groggily agreed. By the time I got the boys in the van, it was fifteen minutes before the tardy bell.

His middle school is in the next town over, about a ten minute drive, on a normal day. Alas, today was not a normal day. No, this morning, Mr. Farmer, decided to drive his large John Deere all the way from our small town to the neighboring town which houses both the middle school and the high school. At 7:50 a.m. On a school morning. At 25 miles per hour. On a 55 mph stretch. The only route to the schools.

Had I been the only one on the road behind Mr. Farmer, I'm sure I would have been seething with frustration. Instead, I was stuck in the middle of a train of about 100 cars (o.k., maybe not 100, but as far as the eye could see), all wondering why Mr. Farmer couldn't have waited ten more minutes to make his drive from one town to the other. Thankfully, it ended up feeling humorous. Moreover, nobody was hurt, just late (you know how impetuous teenage drivers can be).

Saturday, I intend to be "in this together" again, only it won't be a hardship or a frustration. My sister-in-law, Mary, added this note from the President of Give Kids the World (a charity striving to brighten the lives of children who face life-threatening illnesses) on Amelia's blog last night:

"All of us at Give Kids The World Village are getting ready for our Founder's Day celebration on March 7. Four years ago we started a tradition... encouraging everyone to "eat ice cream for breakfast" to help us celebrate. Whether you were a guest at the Village, share your time as a volunteer Angel, send Wish Children here as a Wish Granting Organization or are one of our treasured partners, you are a special part of our GKTW family. We hope that on March 7, you will start your day off with ice cream and thoughts of the thousands of precious children we have served."

I can't afford to finance a table of ten for their Black and White Gala ($2000), but I can enjoy a bowl of ice cream with my kids on Saturday (don't tell my hubby) and send up thoughts and prayers for the many children who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Ice cream and a sense of not being in a trial alone ... both brighten our days! Oh, and chocolate, too!