There is a poem for every day, and this is the one for today.
There are times when I am especially grateful to have Finn, who serves as the consummate reminder that, even when the world seems like a sad and scary place–when I am feeling very, very low–there is always a little bit of good. Finn gives me a reason to get out of bed, when I need one, and it’s motivating to know that, if for no other reason, I have to pull myself out of the pits and be a momma.
Today, I needed to spend the day with my little guy, and I needed for us to escape the world for just a short while. So, he skipped school, and we drove 90 miles outside of the city, past lakes and small towns and Chik-fil-As, to visit a berry farm in McHenry, Illinois. “Do you want to go to school or go pick strawberries?” I asked Finn last night. The answer was obvious.
The first thing he said when he woke up this morning was, “We still going to pick strawberries?”
The two of us had a great time on our little adventure. Even though he was way more interested in eating the strawberries than picking them–something that made filling the two pre-paid buckets a bit of a challenge–we still really enjoyed our time together, and I think the little escape from reality did both of us some good.
I know we are lucky to be able to escape the world when it brings us down; this week has been a painful reminder that so many people–so many babies and kids–don’t have that same privilege. Still, even when the world is “at least fifty percent terrible,” my son is 100% goodness.
Today, I needed a day with my boy. And some fresh air. And too many strawberries.
Here are some photos from our morning together.
This was really lovely. I agree that when the world seems especially sad and terrible that the best thing we can do is focus on the good. There really so so much good!!