Counting Blessings

So I was walking the dogs in the rain, and feeling sorry for myself for a variety of reasons I won't bore you with because even I knew they were stupid.

The dogs were looking damned pathetic--as you can see here, the great flood was in progress and they couldn't believe I was making them do the terrible thing in the terrible place with the terrible water coming down from the sky, and I was ready to take that funk and rub it all where it hurt.

Anyway--the walkways were flooded so I did the thing where I swung wide into the residential area surrounding the park and then came back in where I thought the walkways were clear.

Thought being the operative word.

Anyway--the standing water was about six inches deep. I've done this before--it's a no brainer. You take off your shoes, roll up your pants and walk through, being careful not to step on the piles of leaves and the *shudder* worms. I assume there were worms. They were everywhere else, but I couldn't make myself look.

So I was finishing up my walk, shoes in hand, damp jeans flopping around my ankles because they'd fallen down midway through, and feeling woebegone, when I rounded the corner past the picnic area.

The picnic area is often used for birthday parties and such on the weekends--but in the mornings on the weekdays it's a gathering place for the homeless. No, this doesn't particularly scare me--they are frequently in the park, and so far the worst thing they've done is warn me about the big dog who ate a little dog the day before and how he was back and I may want to make mine stop barking. I did, I thanked the guy for my time, and it was all good.

There were a couple of guys there, talking about the rain.

"Yeah, yeah--it's really coming down today. But did you hear it last night?"

"Oh my God yeah--I was in the car last night and it was pounding down!"

I knew his car. It was parked a space away from mine. I'd seen it this past week, often full of stuff, sometimes disgorging it on the lawn and sometimes empty. It ran--or at least it's moved--but it was clear--this car was this guy's home.

I was taking the dogs to McD's for our breakfast and then going home to my not-so-clean house and planning to spend the rest of the day working.

I had slippers, clean clothes, extra sweaters, and ice water waiting for me, as well as a job I love and a bunch of celebrating coworkers, because whether you get the call or not, there's so much good will going on during RITA announcements you can wash off some of your earthly cares just participating in the congratulations.

And after that there was picking up my delightful children from school-- and Squish has not gotten any less wonderful and neither has ZoomBoy--and eventually my husband, who for some reason still likes to spend time with me after nearly thirty years.

And yeah--whine whine whine--that shit was still there. But so was the good stuff.

So I might not go walking in the rain tomorrow--there's supposed to be lightning, and the park is under a bunch of power lines, so, uh, no--but I'll definitely remember my lesson today.

I have too many blessings to count. I should at least give thanks that I have them.