Little Bum

I was down, depressed, and ornery.  It was the kind of day better spent in bed with the door closed (preferably locked) and the kids being babysat by everyone's favorite babysitter, the television.  But, I couldn't stay in bed, I had dishes screaming at me from the sink, laundry crying for attention, errands clamoring for precedence, dinner to decide on, and children to pick up and drop off and pick up again.  To compensate for my lost bed time, I was annoyed at everything.

Late in the afternoon, after a hard day of internal griping and external sighs, I jumped in the car to race off on yet another taxi run.  As I careened around the corner, I saw my neighbor's two year-old daughter running down the sidewalk, in a too-short shirt, snow boots and underwear.  Her eyes were on her goal: escaping her mother's notice long enough to make it from her front door to the driveway and the bike waiting for her.  A girl on a mission.  Her bare legs pumped, hair streaming behind her.

For the first time all day, I cracked a smile.  I even laughed, effectively silencing my internal rant.  I haven't told my neighbor about her daughter, but I bless the moment that caught her unaware and led her daughter to brighten my day.