Significant Others

At the end of the day almost as a matter of ritual, the kids put to sleep, I find myself drained sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television or computer screen. In these times it is easy to look back and see the day as packed full of meaningless nonsense. But this isn't true. Not for me, not for any of us. The truth is, meaning occurs whether we recognize it or not. Signifant events in my day-to-day have gone unrecognized and unrecorded for for far to long but today it all stops. Today I look back and realize just how full my day was...Today:
1. I woke at the crack of dawn, made two lunches and placed them neatly in metal lunch boxes, kissed my lovely bride goodbye and scurried out into a blisteringly cold dawn. Arriving at school, I promptly got my emotions in check and proceeded to pass my urinary catheterization test-out with ease (perhaps this seems insignificant to some, but I assure you if you don't get it, you are not a member of the chosen few of the Grand Valley nursing program).
2. Several times throughout the course of the day, I found myself spontaneously crying for a friend that I haven't seen in years. I went to Spring Arbor with Chad Cole who lost his wife in a car accident this past weekend. Sarah was pregnant with their first child, a gorgeous baby girl, who was later delivered after the accident and is now on life support. Chad is left to pick up the pieces and everyone who has heard about the story is left broken and speechless....both on Chad's behalf and at the thought of how close to the edge we all live.
3. Today I returned home to Ryan, my youngest, grinning from ear to ear and hardly able to contain himself because he lost his first tooth. Telling me all about how he was going too fast on his sled at recess his infectious smile became an outright giggle that would not be contained.

Now here I sit on my couch...perhaps looking back, the day was a little more full than it seemed. After all, I am living La Vida Strodtbeck.