What a wonderful 24 hours it has been. It is amazing that there are moments, seemingly ordinary to the naked eye, that are actually quite amazing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the world is kind of in a crap shoot right now. It seems as if the news is merely the bearer of bad news, never ending and only broken up with bits of not so bad news. But even with all the bad that is going on in the world right now, life for me is strangely content and unyieldingly happy.
Yesterday was the Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser event for Leo. And what an amazing event it turned out to be. Who knew that eating wings could be so awesome. As I have mentioned before, I love my friends. Their loyalty and willingness to do what it takes makes them friends that will be around forever. Even though this BWW's was in Eagan, my friends were there, supporting me. It means more to me than they will ever know. It seems like a simple thing, to come to a restaurant and eat, but to me it was much more than that. They didn't have to come. I didn't force them to come. They just did. Actions like that speak louder than words ever will. I can't thank them enough for that. After the event, the girl went to a friends house and watched a movie. It was just one of those nights that makes you smile when you think back on it. Just like the bonfire the night before. For a long while, it was a girls night. Just sitting outside around a fire, roasting mallows(which to Meghan's dismay were store brand and not Jet Puff "Mallows are just one area in life that you don't skimp on!") and laughing about the stupid, funny and utterly "why would I do that" moments. It was the perfect goodbye to Meghan, who leaves us for four months tomorrow.
Then there is today. Today, in my opinion, has been one of those subtly perfect days that will stand out in the array of quite ordinary days I've had. I had no special plans today. But from the moment I woke up today, I just knew something was going to be different. My Lauren and I have started this thing that when we hang out, we go for walks around this neighborhood that we don't even live in. We just chat about life, issues I like to think I know a lot about, boys, our outfits, where we want to travel to etc. The conversation is never ending, flowing like a river on a warm summer day. Talking to her isn't like to talking to most of the people I know. She has such a passion for life that is actually quite awe-inspiring. She has this "take no crap" kind of personality that I admire with the subtle undertones of actually caring for what happens to those around her. She doesn't read US magazine. She doesn't watch pointless reality television that has drawn most of the world in. She reads books about the political system in India, about women's lack of rights in certain parts of the world. She actually cares about things that matter. It's amazing to me how caught up with the superficial people can get. I have been blessed with the "I don't care about what other people think" attitude. I admit though that I don't know as much about the world around me as I should. But talking with her inspires me to be better. If I go into a conversation with even a hint of doubt about a situation I am in, I always seem to leave confident and and inspired because of her. We walked this morning, and it was perfect. It was a nice 65 degree morning in August and we just walked. It felt good to start out the day like that. Work, as always, is nothing special. I don't have a great affect over the pubescent. He sleeps in way past anytime a human should, completely ignoring my annoying yelling of his name to get up, my incessant trudging up and down the stairs to make as much noise as possible. I swear he is the living dead when sleeping. It was a fairly ordinary day when he final rose out of his grave. Anxious to get him out of the house, we drove towards the mall, grabbing some lunch. At this point, I have had not one cup of coffee and couldn't go any longer, so I swung into the Starbuck's drive through for a nice coffee with milk. Now, the Starbuck's drive-thru is not a place where I would have expected something amazing to happen to me, but it did. As we were sitting there, waiting for my coffee, a women pulled into the space next to the drive-thru window. She had two bouquets of flowers in her hand to match her awesome flower pants and sunny disposition and was walking inside the building. I got my coffee from the very attractive barista that witnessed what happened next with a dazzling smile and quiet chuckle. The lady double back towards us and all of a sudden, she stuck one bouquet of the sweetest smelling flowers through my window and said, "These are for you. I hope you keep having a really great day." It was one of those moments that I will remember for a long time to come. She didn't ask me for money, she didn't force them upon me, she just handed them to me with a smile and left. I was in shock. I giggled with utter happiness that this had just happened to me, in a drive-thru, at a Starbucks. I yelled "I hope you have a really great day as well ma'am!" and still in shock and smiling ear to ear drove away. I can't describe the high I am still riding just from this simple encounter with the flower lady. A simple kindness so greatly appreciated by me.
I called my mother last night and she told me that on a full plane, in the middle seat, she started to bawl her eyes out. She had an overwhelming feeling of emotion when a song came on her ipod of gratefulness for her family. And I couldn't help but just love her more than I already did. This got me thinking about my family and just how much I love them. My father, with his sometimes quiet disposition around people, but get him going and you will witness a great smile and a booming laugh followed by a cough. My sister in all her glory at the fundraiser, just laughing with kids, raising money and simply amazing me with how far she has come. Even my dog, with his calmness and unwavering belief that he doesn't weigh a hundred pounds and can therefore climb on top of you to cuddle. My mother, with her kick butt work attitude and absolutely amazing personality that will love you no matter what but isn't afraid to kick your butt in bags. Its these simple things that I love, the simple things that add up into a greater family dynamic.
Of course I can't make it through a post with out rambling, but I hope my ramblings prove to be useful and insightful. If you get anything out of today's post, understand that you are loved. By who and how it's shown doesn't really matter unless you accept that its there first. The flower lady loved me today. She showed it with flowers and a smile. My family loves me with hugs, kisses and teasing. My friends love me with their unwavering loyalty. My dog loves me with the satisfying growl that comes from scratching his belly. Its the simple things that happen throughout life that can turn even the most ordinary moment into one that is extraordinary.
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