I don’t want to sell my life for money.
This was the line in the poem that stood out to me the most. I got the poem by text from a friend who was meditating on it too. A form of Lectio Divina, I suppose. Marina came running out of the house with a toy dinosaur head on a stick just now. You can make his mouth open and close, like a puppet.
“Hello, Mother,” the dinosaur says
“Hello,” I say back.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be addressing the dinosaur or Marina so I sort of split the difference.
Clayton comes bounding out of the side door, chasing after her.
“Marina, no, mom is writing, You’re supposed be quiet.”
“It’s ok,” I say. “I’m just about to start”
“Oh, well in that case. You know what I was thinking about? I was thinking about how Marina will grow up loving jazz music, trumpet music, and orchestra music. Because that’s what me and Sam love.”
“You’re right. She’s very lucky. Lots of music in this house.”
Marina takes a few laps around the table with her scooter and then rides back on inside. I open up this document and type the first line just in time for the dog to wander over and start licking my arm. He looks up expectantly at the pesto toast on the table, as if it might magically leap over to him. I take a sip of my single origin light roast coffee. It’s pretentious, but only because its earned the right to be. The birds are singing. Goldilocks would love this weather. I certainly do. Not too hot. Not too cold. Juuuuuuust right.
It’s a beautiful life. I can’t complain. Or can I?
Wasn’t I just noticing how the siding needs to be painted and remembering how I wanted to plant a tree but haven’t gotten around to it? Wasn’t I just muttering under my breath as I sifted through the broken toys and dried orange peels from behind the couch?
People are as happy as they make up their minds to be, I think. Whoever said it was wise.
#WritersWrite and I write almost every day. I sometimes share my thoughts publicly in this series called “500 Words or Less” This practice allows me to explore a variety of different topics in a restrained/contained way and learn what resonates with people. I wrote it, not AI. If you share, please give proper credit. © Traci Smith, 2023. All Rights Reserved.