A Wink And A Smile.

Yesterday was a tough day. 

A day that I was happy to see the end of and when sleep finally came in the early hours of the morning, I fell gratefully into her embrace.  But it was a restless night and this morning, I found myself awake much too early with creaky bones and an emotional hangover.  As if to mimic my mood, the heavens have presented us today with grey overcast skies, dark storm clouds on stand by, as if waiting for a cue to start raining.  A day when all I want to do is bury my head deeper into the covers and nurse my bruised soul, maybe throw in a little bit of self pity too for good measure.  

Then from the other room, small shuffling noises..a quiet coo and a sigh..then a happy little giggle.  The realization hitting me that my days of hiding in my bed feeling sorry for myself are long gone, I force my legs over the side of the bed and look down at my feet

and wiggle my toes.  

We've come a long way, I say (think) to them, and I'm grateful for you. You've never let me down and when I have a spare minute, I'm going to clean you up and make you look so pretty.  

I promise.  

And so our day begins - as I enter Leo's room I'm met with an ear piercing squeal of delight, his favorite stuffed animal getting thrown every which way as he frantically kicks and waves.  I smile back at him, thinking..when was the last time my mere appearance made someone go berserks like that?  Another squeal..and I laugh out loud, the storm clouds above my head dissipating, gone in search of someone else to rain on.

We came downstairs shortly thereafter and as I opened the door out into the backyard, we were met by a cardinal, singing so loudly and clearly - breathtaking in his vibrant crimson feathered coat.  

Then suddenly, not one but five monarch butterflies fluttered above our heads, around and around, chasing each other playfully not 2 feet from Leo's delighted little face, small hands outstretched.  

And I knew all of a sudden that it was going to be ok.  

Because without the valleys there would be no mountains.  

And the cardinal and butterflies?  

I like to think that it was a reminder, a wink and a smile that for every bad day there are so many good ones.

Wishing you all a glorious week of mountain peaks. 

xo Blue Gnome