Rather Be

A hard day to be in my body! (As you can see)

Today was a tough day. No question about it. I've been getting to practice later than normal this week, which has somehow made it a lot more difficult to complete. And today I didn't manage to do the whole thing, but I was super proud of myself for sticking it out as long as I did (I got through half primary and finishing series).

Afterward I went to get coffee and a scone at Bradbury's. I love this place. The coffee is delicious. The scones are delicious. The crepes are delicious, though I rarely eat them. The vibe is great. The only problem is, the last two times I've gone there I have waited 20-30 minutes for my coffee, and today, well, as you can see from my scowl in the picture, I just didn't have much patience for that.

You know that bumper sticker that says I'd Rather Be Here Now? On my bikeride home today, I drove past a car with that sucker pasted on the back. In theory, I support this concept. But feeling as I did today, which it turns out was largely made up of me taking on the emotions of my progeny (which is easy for me to do if I'm not careful, as it is for any empath), it's really difficult to get behind that notion.

Pondering this, nothing other than Rather Be starting playing on the internal ipod:

We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea
But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat

With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same, get you another name
Switch up the batteries

If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be [x3]

We staked out on a mission to find our inner peace
Make it everlasting so nothing's incomplete
It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity
As long as we're together, there's no place I'd rather be

I try to feel this about myself, and mostly I do. And despite the emotional roller coaster that parenting can be, I mostly feel this about my kids too. Sometimes more than others, of course.

Case in point: As the dust was settling tonight after some difficult interactions with my son, my daughter and I went outside to follow our neighborhood turkey family around. We enjoy these birds so much, and this summer, we've gotten to watch a family of them as the young get bigger. We think one of them died, because there is one less baby than there was when we first spotted them.

As we were watching them, my daughter said:

"Look at it this way, Mom: At least you didn't have five kids to raise with one already dead like this turkey."

Such a great perspective. Such a wise kid.

As we walked up the block, I once again heard the refrain:

When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be, yeah