She decides between coffee or
a small supply of the kids’ favorite cereal.
It’s one or the other on her budget.
The cereal wins because it is
about more than just cereal.
It’s a reminder of
normalcy.
It’s a reminder to the kids
that she remembers.
It is a small way to
introduce a bit of joy
and she will make whatever
sacrifice is necessary
to do just that.
She doesn’t have the
time or energy
to keep count –
but this is a regular thing for her.
Choices.
This or that.
She would love a cup of coffee
right now to get her through
the long night ahead
as her second job begins.
She pushes back
the fear,
the worry,
for if she allowed it
room it would run through her
spare energy resources
in 60 minutes flat.
And then,
where would she be?
A thought creeps in but she
speaks to it and tells it
to go away.
She shakes her head to
get free of it.
There’s no time to address
the gaping wounds in her heart
that bleed so easily.
So she chases the
memory away.
It is what it is.
Dreams are a luxury and
her sleep,
her awake
her sorrow
her joy
her energy
is for her boys.
Her every minute is
meet the needs.
Her job is survival.
She sorts through
the bills in the mail
as she logs into the
customer service website.
An envelope that isn’t a bill
sorts itself from the stack.
She rips it open to
discover a card,
and a gift card
to her local
grocery store.
There’s no name.
No one to thank
or feel indebted to.
Just provision.
A deep breath –
just what she needs.
And maybe, just maybe,
some coffee.
#PermissionGranted
Are you in the midst of a long night? Reach out – you don’t have to do it alone. Allow others to help you take up your space – to be all that you can be.
Are you in a place where you can leverage where you are to make someone else’s burden lighter? Step into that. Do it for the right reasons and be an encouragement to others.
