Resiliancy

Life isn't always easy, though some days I find myself kicking and screaming and demanding what I feel would be the better option.  This past Monday, my daughter needed to have four baby teeth extracted (I hate the word "pull" with it's connotations of violence) because her adult teeth are trying desperately to come down, but the baby teeth refused to leave their comfy gummy homes.  Words were spoken between parents and dentists, x-rays were viewed, decisions were made, and Mommy worried and worried and worried about the trauma this experience might be to her little one.  While the visit to the dentist on Monday didn't make it to the top ten list of fun things to do at the beginning of the week, it went much better than I'd anticipated.  The nitrous oxide worked it's magic, the little one calmed, the teeth came out very quickly, and soon we were back home, Sparkle Fairy gazing in the mirror at her new smile.  At first, she seemed annoyed that she was missing the front teeth. By Tuesday, however, life had returned to normal. When I asked her how her gums felt, she announced that she hardly remembered her teeth had been taken out.  Pulling her small top lip upward gently, I could see the adult teeth like two tiny white crowns, read to grow downward.  Hopefully now they will take their rightful positions and we won't have any further trouble. The Tooth Fairie made her silver sparkle appearance on Monday night, and all was well in the world on Tuesday morning.   I'm amazed at the way young children are able to bounce back from life's smaller challenges (which, to little ones and sometimes to us big people too, seem huge), and even to life's larger issues.  My daughter really inspired me this week.

This morning, while sitting outside in the rose garden reading my morning books, I was dive bombed by a crazy dragon fly.   He flew in my face briefly before spiraling upward, over the wooden fence that borders the front yard, and past the big black olive tree.  As I  was smiling in startled glee at that encounter, a tiny, tiny bee buzzed my ear and began to hover directly in front of my face.  We were eye to eye for a moment, little bee eyes gazing curiously into my own green orbs before she hummed once again around my head and flew off.  As my eyes turned downward to my book again, a squabble arose in the huge palm tree by the lake.  Several birds were arguing about something, flapping out of the enormous fronds and then disappearing in the leafy arms again, squawking at one another about some sort of avian issue.  The noise and disruption actually added depth to my morning.  It made me take notice of everything around me, of the life that was happening while I sat in my chair, attempting to steal a quiet moment from the morning.   

In the midst of the clamor, life is good.