Day Nine, Gift Nine

I've been a bit disappointed with the level of fatigue I've been suffering from.  I keep waking up thinking I'll be more energetic than I am and a simple telephone call or reading email just exhausts me.  Day nine was like that, although it was definitely a day of giving for me.  I actually had two gifts.  Again, I didn't pre-plan anything, rather gave intentionally when the moment presented itself.

The first gift was around 10am.  My whole family had slept in this Saturday morning and while they all got up around 9am, I felt totally weak.  My husband told me to rest and started plowing through diapers, medications, our whole morning routine.  I could hear Dakota exclaim, "There is nothing for breakfast!"  He was right.  Saturday is my grocery shopping day and I'm sure there wasn't a lot of breakfast options...then I heard him say, "Well, I guess I can have toast."  I sighed...there was nothing wrong with toast, but my family deserved a yummy breakfast, I decided with enough "go getter" attitude I could get through making some Bisquick pancakes, right?  So I came down the stairs and said, "Who wants pancakes?"  The kids jumped in excitement and I got to work.  I decided that if I was making them, I might as well make the whole box and then freeze a bunch...it would help our grocery budget.  So, I ended up making around 50 pancakes or so.  Then I decided while I was at it, I might as well make a bunch of french toast and freeze that too.  So, I made two full loaves of french toast and froze that.  I told Tim, "Well, I think that counts as my gift for today!"...he mumbled, "Not really..."  I gasped, "What do you mean, 'not really'"...I was completely perplexed.  He went on to further explain that it might qualify as a gift if there had been other breakfast options and I just did it for no reason.  I then told him I was tired and the family could have happily had toast!  He then said, "It's up to you to decide, babe..."  Hmmm...was it not really a gift?  I went to bed a little bummed because I was so tired and maybe I hadn't gotten my gift done.  I decided it was a gift and slept quite contently for several hours...I never did make it to the grocery store.

After waking up I felt a heavy heart, it was about my friend.  She had called me crying the night before, her husband had been laid off just like so many others and they had just gotten the news.  So many people, I feel so small, what can I do to help the massive problems of the world???  I can't even get myself showered and dressed!  Well, as often happens, I had an epiphany as I came out of my sleep.  One of my greatest talents is my resourcefulness.  I've never had a problem finding a job once, people are just mind boggled at my skill at finding jobs and finding them fast!  I asked for Dakota to deliver me the laptop to my bed and I spent the next hour digging in all the "hard to find" places for jobs...places where it's free to post.  In an hours time, I had sent her jobs for her, her husband, her sister and her boyfriend (who also live with her)...real doable jobs matching their experience right here in town about twenty or so!

I was so darn excited...I thought she probably spent the entire night scouring the big well known  job sites but in our little town, no one advertises there.  Well, I was right!  I called her a half hour later as I got settled on the couch and she absolutely squealed in my ear, "You are the best!  My sister already has an interview for tomorrow!!!"  I was thrilled, I had a high I can't explain...smiling from ear to ear and just glowing I told Tim the good news.  He smiled...no surprise to him, he's watched me do this for years.  If we need money, I find it and I find it fast!

So, I had a second gift, one that "counts" in Tim's mind too!  So it was a great day.  I didn't exercise, didn't get out of bed other than to make breakfast, but I made a difference to someone who really needed it.