A weekend to remember

Occasionally you are given a gift so wonderful you have to record it for posterity. Such a gift happened to me this weekend (and is still happening).

Thursday night I was at a church choir rehearsal when my Fitbit buzzed, indicating I had a text. It was Roy, “So, what do you want to do tomorrow night? :D” I grabbed my phone and was informed that my mother in law had offered to take the boys for an overnight, giving us a full 24 hours to ourselves. Additionally, Roy would be gone on Saturday for most of the day, giving me a full 8 hours to MYSELF. You’ve never seen a more smiley Messiah alto in your life.

Friday night came, the boys were safely deposited, slightly damp, into the backseat of Mom’s car, excited for pizza and toys and Aunt Martha (even though I told them repeatedly she wouldn’t be there). I drove home in utter silence, shutting the radio off and listening to the rain drum on the windshield. I arrived home and began a nice dinner we could enjoy as a couple without distraction or complaint. Roast chicken in the oven, potatoes gently simmering on the stovetop, carrots brushed with coriander and sweet maple, ready to roast. I had Friends on my iPad, providing a familiar soundtrack to my stirring and chopping. The entire hour was completely therapeutic.

We ate in silence, appreciating every forkful at our leisure. Then we pondered half a dozen options as to how to spend our free evening. Poking around the mall won out (I can’t resist the allure of Williams and Sonoma) and we walked for two hours, skipping the Lego store and carousel and opting instead to browse the suit coats, professional attire, and kitchen gadgetry (because Williams and Sonoma). We were able to nab a quick ice cream right as everything shut down at 9:30 and swapped bites of chocolate next to the fountains. The two hours were completely therapeutic.

I woke up the next morning at 9:20AM. Only slightly embarrassed, I whipped up lemon ricotta pancakes with homemade lemon curd and raspberry jam. We ate, again, largely in silence, savoring the tart sweetness of a fancy brunch. Easy conversation was had over the pancakes and Roy's excellent coffee. He left at 11 and I...went back to bed. I half dozed, half watched Netflix until 1. The two hours were completely therapeutic.

Then I got up, took a long hot shower, ironed my clothes for the afternoon, and headed to Webster. I walked through Kohls, finding a pair of rain boots on sale (plus 20% discount and $5 off coupon…I heart Kohls). I looked for pretty yellow spatulas like what I had seen at W&S the night before, but alas, nothing even close. Anytime I find something in the precise shade of yellow as my mixer I dream of color-coordinating. Then I walked over to Target and meandered the aisles, looking at everything and nothing simultaneously. By 3PM I was in Core Life Eatery for a quick bite before church. The restaurant was largely empty, and I sat at a booth in silence, enjoying rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and steak gently steamed in broth. It was so stinking good. Each minute that passed brought a little more restoration to my mind, soul, and body. The two and a half hours were completely therapeutic.

And then I drove to church and led a peaceful Saturday service and welcomed my boys with open arms at the conclusion of the service. I was delighted to see them and they were equally excited to share their adventures with me. A change of location did us all a great deal of good.

This morning I am not at church, because we are going to a birthday party at 11AM. It’s my first Sunday off of church music since October. It is, once again, largely quiet in the house. Coffee is being sipped and I’m reminded of what Sabbath actually means. Chaos will rule once we arrive at the party I’m sure, and the introvert in us all will rear its ugly head, but maybe, just maybe, we have filled our tanks enough to get through the next stretch with more laughter and grace for ourselves and the world.

Thankful for this gift. If you helped facilitate it (Mom, Dad, Aunt Martha, Williams and Sonoma, Core Life Eatery, etc...) I am grateful in a way I can only truly express through the quiet shine in my eyes.