Holiday Musings: The Art of Grace

So, I was standing at the sink at midnight last night. No lie. I am a night owl and I love the stillness and the quiet. I was frustrated because I really wanted to be catching up on my mystery series or reading a good book or maybe…thinking about sleeping.

No, I was washing dishes. Why? My dishwasher wasn’t. Yes, I had called the repair guy but he hadn’t made his way out to our house yet. Because I have trained myself (and still do) to “flip the energy” as I teach, I decided to make this an opportunity for gratitude. Why. Was. I. Complaining. to begin with?

I had my arms almost up to my shoulders in my beautiful double deep stainless steel sinks, spraying them off with a sprayer faucet that would rival the finest restaurants. What? I was setting them on the granite counter to dry while look over my neighbor’s quiet and dark house, quite a distance away. I was humbled. I HAVE dishes. I have running water and I have a beautiful kitchen…with a window (a kitchen necessity of mine). And of course, the obvious. I have a dishwasher to break.

My mind wandered a bit more….and I realized that a job that I despised when I was growing up…washing and/or drying dishes with my brother (who wants to hang out with their younger brother after dinner each night). I actually missed those moments. When we were young, protected, innocent and belabored with this same horrible chore I was experiencing now. Good times.

Those were times when we bonded over the heavy handed abuse of our parents and our rough, rough life. We laughed and fought and argued…but I miss those times.

So as I washed and dried the last dish, I paused and sent up a prayer of gratitude for so many things. The simple things. Having a family who ate dinner together every night, said GRACE before the meal…and a brother who understood all the trauma and drama of our mutual childhood.

What simple repetitive moments in your life are the SACRED in disguise? Share with me below….