Simple Gifts

Sometimes, I have one of those days. You know, a frazzled, frustrated, tired day. A day when it occurs to me that I'm not losing my baby weight fast enough, when my face breaks out, when I can't seem to put on an outfit that looks even halfway decent, a day where it seems like I just can't manage to do all the chores I need to, when the baby's diaper leaks onto three (or more) different outfits, and she won't stop crying, a day when I can't even find the energy to be sweet and loving to my husband. This past week I've had not just one of those days, but several, and today was shaping up to be another one.

This afternoon changed that, at least for a little while. I headed to the library, not because I really wanted to (I actually thought is was kind of a hassle), but just because I'd been meaning to go and I knew I'd regret not going when I didn't have a book to read tonight. I trudged there, thinking I'd just run in, grab a couple of books, and get home as quickly as possible. Instead, I fell down the rabbit hole of browsing bookshelves, a pleasure I haven't had for a while, since when we lived in Birmingham I rarely went to the library, due to its inconvenient location. But today, I wandered the shelves, picking up books at random that caught my eye, filling my bag with all sorts of interesting-looking titles. For a book lover, there's nothing like being among them, discovering new ones, and marveling at the sheer vastness of topics to learn about and stories to experience. When I left the library, I was in a much better mood, and as I enjoyed my walk in the cool spring drizzle down lovely Rathdowne Street, I began to remember all the other things in my life that make the frustrating days worthwhile.

I live abroad (a longtime dream of mine) in a city that seems to get more interesting by the day, in a neighborhood that I simply adore. There are days here in our little part of Carlton North that I feel like this place must have been designed from my ideas of a perfect place to live. Beautiful, historic buildings everywhere you turn, all the things we could ever need within easy walking distance, flowers and trees and adorable cafes...I could go on and on. I live in a charming, historic little terrace with a garden overflowing with flowers and herbs, and a kind and loving husband who goes out of his way to be kind to me even when I'm not that way to him, and a beautiful baby daughter who smiles at me more every day. Actually, when I thought about it, I realized that, at the age of 24, I've been blessed to have basically everything I ever dreamed about come true. I don't know why God has chosen to give someone as imperfect as me all these beautiful blessings, but I am so grateful to Him for it.

When I got home this afternoon, I turned on an album of instrumental hymns I discovered on Spotify a couple of weeks ago, thinking their simple melodies would suit the soothing sound of the rain outside. The first song that played was "Simple Gifts" and its lyrics suit my thoughts this afternoon perfectly.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

So today I'm thankful for all the simple gifts in my life. I am so blessed and so happy, and I'm glad this afternoon reminded me of that.