It's a Wonderful Life

8 o’clock and still perfectly warm. The sun has set and the sky is a dusty blue grey. Planes fly overhead trailing jet streams that glow pink from the sunset over the horizon. As usual here, there is a symphony of raucous, arguing birds, looking for springtime mates and chasing each other about. I’ve seen large blue jays, a pair of cardinals, two chickadees, several hawks, perhaps a dozen mockingbirds, and hundreds of robins. An owl just hooted from behind the tree line, but it’s yet to make an appearance. The sky is darkening now, as I write, and the porch lights begin to glow a brighter yellow against the now deep-blue of evening. Saba is crouching on the edge of the sidewalk, ears perked, observing the dogs being walked through the neighborhood. And my sweet Gordon is working on his computer just across the porch from me. Life is delicious. Better than I’d imagined.

2 days ago, Henry and I found a snail in our front yard and placed it on top of a dandelion flower and waited for it to creep out of its shell and find its way back to the ground. Slowly, slowly, it poked its magic protruding antennae and soft body past the edge of its shell and slithered down. Henry and I laughed at its oddity and discussed why a snail is not a bug, even though it is the same size and lives a similar life. It could not, I explained, be killed by his exterminator-truck-matchbox-car. Life is good.

I’ve spent a lot of my time here, in the space of this blog, writing about the small resentments and details of my life. Blathering on and on about what sucks time and what drains patience. About how I wonder where I am in the mix of this. But this is only a tiny miniature corner in the enormity of my life. Because here I sit, the sky now a dark navy blue, the trees black against it. The stars have come out and the planes’ lights blink paths across the arc of night. And I’m happy; happy with my choices, happy with my family, happy with my life. Sometimes, I admit, I’m not happy with myself, but that’s for another day. Tonight, I just wanted to explain that no matter what I say here in this space, life is good in my house. I am grateful beyond measure.