You Are Loved
I found treasure last Thursday!
It was a day that started off as a day of accomplishments. I had a mental list of several check-offable items that I was going to expediently take care of throughout the day. The list was short, achievable, and satisfying. I had my ducks in a row and my map planned out. With an early start, I was sure to be the envy of all errand-runners!
But, as the saying goes, I should have known better.
My mental file cabinets include a plethora of past situations that resulted in the same type of day as what I wound up experiencing last week. In an instant, my list more than doubled. My logistical map of destinations started to look like a spaghetti drawing. A few of the items on my list dropped off completely. I lost any semblance of control I may have thought I had over my day’s plans so I just went into task mode. Just get stuff done. Say “yes” and “fine” and “sure thing”. Forget self, forget priorities, forget boundaries. And forget living in the moment or fully experiencing Polaroid-worthy memories-in-the-making.
How quickly a day full of possibilities became a day of lost opportunities.
Near the end of my very full day, as I was biding my time to pick up one of my daughters, I walked into a local retail shop with the intension of simply browsing and ticking off minutes. My younger daughter was with me and, as we walked through the shop, was drawing my attention to some of the things I love the most – the shiny, the sparkly, the bangles and rings. At each turn, she’d exclaim, “Oh, Mommy! Look at that!” and “Those are so pretty!”
As we were nearing departure time, she led me to another display cabinet where we happened to linger. We crouched down to admire the beauty in craftsmanship and versatility of the jewelry in the case. As I stood up to prepare to leave, my vision stopped on an assortment of stackable rings. I gave them a once-over, but my vision was drawn to one of the rings that had writing on it. There were several of these types of rings, but one in particular kept pulling my attention. When I got closer to read it, it said,
You Are Loved
Three words.
Two seconds.
My heart was filled.
My hope came back.
My day had meaning.
It brought order to the chaos of the day. It set my mind at ease and helped me to remember that all will be well. In what seemed to be turmoil and confusion, I was able to look back and see that the day was actually filled with golden nuggets: I accomplished much more than I originally set out to do, I was able to spend unplanned quality time with family, and I had my little one with me all day. As a full-time employee, my mother-daughter times are very limited. Spending this time together was a beautiful blessing. I realized that this day was a pearl in my jewelry box.
And yes, I added something else to my jewelry box as well! My daily reminder that I can look at and know that I AM loved! Me! This gal! Just because I exist. Because I am INTENTIONAL. Because I was uniquely created to be who I am. I am loved. And so are you!