I had planned to write a different post which I started yesterday. Alas, the events of the day bumped it to later, so I could share these thoughts from my day. You see…I had a choice to make today. Would I grimace or would I grin? That was the question.
Let me explain…
Last night, around 1:30, I awakened, as many middle-aged people do, for a mid-night restroom visit. As I walked through the house, I noticed a dull throb in the back of my head. Not good. As I ventured back to bed, I uttered a hope that it would simply disappear by the time the radio began to play in three more hours. No such luck. If anything, the dull throb had developed into a throbbing ache.
“Don’t fret, Jodi, you know what to do. Grab some migraine meds before you leave and by the time your kiddos arrive…it will be lessened.”
As I reached for the bottle, I realized…EMPTY!! Not good. I grabbed a sad substitute to take with me in case I didn’t find any in my desk. So, as I left my house…it was with a “woe-is-me” perspective on the day. But then….
I ordered a breakfast sandwich and Diet Dr. Pepper from McDonald’s. I pulled up to the drive-through window and Ruth said, “The man in the previous car paid for yours.” The grimace was replaced with a grin. How sweet! When I arrived to my room, I learned that a parent of one of my previous students had been in the car. When she noticed it was me, she & her husband paid for my breakfast. A drop added to my bucket…. The grin grew.
Derrick, our daytime custodian, told me if I didn’t find any migraine medicine to let him know, and he had some Excedrin I could try. The grin grew.
Krista, our assistant principal, told me who she was certain would have migraine pills on hand, and sure enough Brittany came to the rescue. She came by my room before her first class to ensure I could battle the raging headache. The grin grew.
As the school day began, I asked my class to try to keep our volume and restroom breaks a bit quieter because of my headache. I mentioned how the light above me was “killing me” currently due to the medicine not kicking in yet. They said, “Just turn it off, Ms. Pflaumer, we can just have the other light on.” I was uncertain that would be sufficient, and one of my girls replied on behalf of the class, “Of course it will, if it will help you feel better.” My heart smiled….
Alas, I finished my carrots on Wednesday and my grape tomatoes were finished yesterday for my lunches. That meant…I only had a small dish of cottage cheese and applesauce for today. Laura, the special ed teacher who co-teaches my inclusion classroom suggested, “I could order our lunch from Jendy’s and run and get it while you take the kids to the cafeteria to pick up their lunches.” Yum! A ham and cheese sandwich was a great addition to my cottage cheese meal. My grin grew…
My lesson plans were formulated by around 5, then I was off to my sister’s to share dinner and watch a movie. We laughed and visited while watching Pitch Perfect 2. My grin grew…
Now, I’m home. My cats are napping on or near me. As soon as this posts, I will be getting ready to head to bed to read a couple chapters of my book.
My headache started coming back a bit this evening, but it’s nowhere as sharp as this morning. I hope it’s gone by 5:30 when the radio starts to play. If not…I will have a choice to make. Will I grimace and grouch….or will I grin and look for the kindnesses and blessings? I pray it will be like today….and I will celebrate the day rather than wallering in gray clouds of gloom.
What about you? Will you grin or grimace in the midst of circumstances? I hope you find reasons to grin. If you need one, send me a message, and I’ll be glad to send some positive thoughts your way.
Jodi Lea Pflaumer, Author 