September 22 – “Good-will morning”

Mom was awake at 5:23 this morning.  How do I know the time so exactly?  Because she decided we all needed to be awake at 5:23.  She very quietly snuck down the hall to our room.  Chris didn’t even hear her.  Slowly she reached inside the door and flicked on our bedroom light.  What a great way to be awakened, huh?  Actually we both instinctively woke up just seconds before the light came on.  Chris raced to the door and turned it off, trying to protect my eyes.  Not to be deterred, however, Mom simply reached behind her and turned it on again.  It was kind of funny, actually.  Made me have some flashbacks to my younger years when she would inspire me to wake up every morning by turning the light on and greeting me with a jovial, “Good morning.  Rise and shine.”  Didn’t usually set so well with my older brother, as I recall.  In fact since I was such a good younger sibling, I took note that he wasn’t particularly thrilled with cheery good mornings.  And I did everything I could as often as I could to encourage good ol’ Jay to greet the day in a cheery, upbeat, woohoo kind of way.  I was just so inspired by Mom that I took her “good-will morning” style and made it my own.  And it has served me well – at youth camps in particular – for many years. 

Chris finally left it on and began her gentle way of talking Mom back to bed.  She did reach back and turn it off as they headed down the hall.  Always thinking of me.  What a great wife.  Of course by that time I was wide awake.  I waited for her to come back to bed and we talked for a few minutes before I finally got up a little after six, my usual time.  Great way to start the day. 

Speaking of out of place prowling, there were some more people roaming around next door again.  The first was just yet another representative of the bank taking pictures and recommending that the house be torn down.  Nothing different there.  The second was a bit different, though.  A lady came by and Chris engaged her in conversation.  She said she wanted to buy the house and fix it up and either resell it or rent it out.  Apparently she even had a call in to the City of Galveston guy who is responsible for demolitions.  She wants to stop the demo.  That’s not good news.  It just means more delays, I’m sure, no matter what the outcome.  Four plus years and counting.  Long enough, don’t you think?

Psalms 31:15 says, “My times are in your hands.”

Father, thank you for good-will mornings.  With Mom and with You.  Amen.