No (April) Foolin'

You know that Ice Cube song, "Today Was a Good Day"?

If you are cool (like me) you do and you should play the beat as the internal soundtrack to this blog.

If you are not cool, but you are industrious (also like me) you can simply open a second box and stealthily you tube that sucker for pop culture reference purposes.

First, a disclaimer. If you are watching (or remembering) the video, I need to say upfront that I didn't do any gambling, weed smoking, six-fo' driving, or bedding of a random chick in an anonymous hotel. I can assure you that it most certainly was not that kind of party. But today was with out question one heck of a good day.

Let me walk you through the highlights.

After days of feeling like walking death, I awoke to a new day of almost no pain. Then, my son who got the strep throat cooties from me, is officially done with the strain without so much as ever even feeling an itch in his throat. Next, I heard that my older son has been spotted slipping "inappropriate language" while at school through two different branches of a pretty solid grape vine.

Okay, so you may think that last one isn't so great, but wait for it. . .

I had the presence of mind to ask a series of open ended questions (not the usual hysterical interrogational battery I usually spew) and he actually confessed to a whole cornucopia of offenses. Ha!!! I say to the parenting fates. Ha!!! and again Ha!!!I actually played a hand smoothly and got more scoop than I bargained for.

If you are a parent or actually if you've ever found yourself in the position of intelligence gathering and discovered that you were actually guilty of of shrieking and screaming with little or no response from the shell-shocked detainee, you will understand my joy at staying cool.

I was a parenting goddess for crying outloud. I actually wish I'd taped it -- I could play it back when company came over and say, "See, I got it right once. The evidence is right here."

In a different, but slightly related note, I attended a meeting that was largely centered on explaining to me why I should not freak out that my son was moving from one school to the next. That freaking out was possibly, the worst thing I could do. Instead, I should have a game plan that starts immediately at best, summer at the latest, and that this plan should be subtle, intentional, overt, honest, calm, collected, routine, a change and perfectly natural.

In short, impossible.

This delightful message was then followed up with a list of all the things (other than myself of course) that will probably freak my kid out, although I must not, under any circumstance, be freaked out or show the slightest indication of freakedoutedness. Apparently kids sense this and they freak out in response. Got it.

The good part? I listened to it all and did not throw up. Not once. Not even at my car or at home. I felt good, giddy. Some might say hysterically so. Naysayers. Screw 'em. I have a plan. I have a series of frantically scribbled notes with arrows and stars that will get me through. First on the agenda, I'll have the hubby build a mock locker at home & we'll do drills every Saturday after TAKS testing passes. I'm sure that's totally what they meant by remaining rational. . .

If you are worried, don't. I am seriously calm and relaxed. I find it funny and ironic and amusing. This is so not me. Which makes it a good day -- see?

I think the stimulus behind all of this warm fuzziness is the fact that I feel so much good energy today. I had a friend show me love yesterday. And I had a friend give thanks for the love today. I had a friend make a difficult decision and tell me something that wasn't easy -- but was needed.

I watched as a friend tugged on to the rope of patience despite the fact that there were only two little pathetic fibers left in that sucker and found more love to extend to her son.

I saw the cutest button of child demand independence. Saw the best mommy ever grant it in return. And my eyes watered at the significance of both actions.

The world of love is bigger than our singular experience. On the contrary, it is the intersection of our strengths and vulnerabilities that reveal the beauty of our lives. Today, my awareness of that fact was piqued.

There is a fullness that only the warm embrace of community can bring. And although April Fools is notoriously associated with news that is given and then taken away. I don't think that it's possible in this case.

Afterall, the imprint of love is indelible. If it means that we have hard times or disappointments or even frustrations, it's okay. I think love makes even those days, good days.

So I say, because of the bumps and the surprises and the ridiculously unattainable tasks, because I get to share all of these with those I love, today was a good day.