Woke Up to Rain

I woke up to rain outside my window. Gentle, cleansing rain.

And I felt bad for my post yesterday, for my bad attitude, for how quickly I forget the blessing that our vacation was.

My mother (with the help of my sister and brother and their spouses) cared for my kids for NINE DAYS while Rich and I went backpacking around Panama without a care in the world. I hardly missed them because I knew they were safe. She sewed patches on their pants and Isaac's scout uniform, read them stacks of books, organized my junk drawer and medicine cabinet, nursed their eye and ear infections, did art and educational projects with them, hemmed curtains, endured their picky eating, took them to the park and the Children's Museum, volunteered in their classrooms, and rode with them to school on bikes.

I get home, and all I can see is that everything in my house seems broken (piano, fridge, dishwasher, printer), the kids still don't listen to me or pick up after themselves, and that I lost my clothes.

Never mind that I just spent days on beaches, hiked in jungly mountains, snuggled in buses with my true love, read three books, and spent a whole day at the Panama City Temple. We slept in almost every morning, played cards, watched three movies, went fishing and snorkeling, and took pictures of hermit crabs. We chatted with fellow travelers and children, talked about wild and crazy dreams, went dancing at a Uruguayan dance club, and saw the amazing Panama Canal locks in action. One night we walked until we got tired on the Amador Causeway, with ocean on either side. We ate at least 20 meals that I didn't have to cook.

And on a drizzly afternoon, while riding on a bus through a mountain town called Nube (Cloud), we snapped a photo of a gorgeous rainbow.

Ingrate.

So, I'll try to be like Noah. The rain and the rainbow in my fuzzy photo now remind me that there are more chances, more days to do better.

I'm sorry, World. I'll try to be more grateful today, try to share the Love more with everyone.