Punctuation

Sometimes my days seem so strange.  Maybe everyone experiences this, but my days just don't flow smoothly.  Today was punctuated by screaming, or at least that was what it felt like.  I woke up to a massive screaming fit that involved all three of my children, but thankfully not my husband.  We attended a lovely church service.  After singing the closing hymn, the woman in front of me turned around specifically to comment on how wonderful my voice was.  She asked why I wasn't singing on stage and sharing my talent with everyone else.  I was a bit shocked, since I don't sing very well anymore, but responded that this was only our fifth Sunday at this church.  We chatted and met her father-in-law as well.  It was encouraging, not just the compliment but the making of new friends.

 After we left the church, there was screaming. Then more screaming.  Then lunch and more screaming.  Then our neighbour's party which had much less screaming, but also less English.  However, I was content to be different, since there was significantly less screaming.  I ducked out of the party early to attend a Taize service(a quiet meditative reflective service?), but took the primary screamer with me.  She was very good and sat quietly for the entire hour.   Thankfully she had exhausted most of her screaming by the time we returned home.

 After I put her to bed, I went back to the party for my cake.  I was planning on eating quickly and then curling up on my bed with a book, but instead ended up having a serious discussion about why I am a Christian as opposed to any other religion.  These discussions are fascinating, yet challenging as I'm discussing them with my friend who is far more learned than I am.  He's doing post-doctoral work, I'm an university drop-out.  But we had an interesting discussion with Steve filling in concepts when I forgot the words to explain them.  Thankfully there was no screaming to punctuate this discussion, just chocolate cake.

 I am thankful for silence, for days filled with interesting events and friends.  I am thankful for cake, for friends from different cultures, but most of all for bedtime.  Oh and I'm very thankful for my wonderful husband who holds my hand, sits very close to me in church, and speaks for me when I have lost my words.