Small graces

Never mind that my intention of crafting homemade Valentines out of fabric scraps never became a reality; that the the butter is still softening in the mixing bowl and the Valentine sugar cookie cut outs didn't get made; that the dinner wasn't ready until after 7 PM and that every little lovely balked at the innocuous meal (their father's favorite) of saucy stuffed shells; that the gray is seeping through the roots of my hair and I am absolutely not coloring it tonight; that every pair of pants, unless they are my husband's pajama bottoms, requires a little extra effort because I keep consuming large amounts of popcorn and chocolate covered peanuts; that I keep ripping the lining of every pair of dress pants I do put on so that you may very well see fabric hanging out of the bottom of my pant leg; that our washer is not draining properly; and that every kitchen chair has at least one area of stickiness. 

Never mind all that because I have a husband so kind, so loving, that he brought me home my favorite red wine (and posted these pictures without even grimacing); a fairy for a daughter with curls so tight her head has been likened to a continuous party, a little girl who, while having a showdown with her father and me over the said saucy stuffed shells, proceeded to serenade us with several verses from "The Wheels on the Bus"; I have a son with a heart so pure that while quietly playing on the kitchen floor, he began to sing the poetic "Irish Rune of Hospitality"; I have another son with a will so strong that I hold him personally responsible for the gray seeping through my roots, a son who tonight asked so tenderly that I lay by his side and hold his hand; a son with a heart so large that while his siblings were settling into bed asked to help cut the carrots, peel the potatoes, and mince the garlic for a a pot of navy bean soup I was preparing. 

Never mind because with all my faults, my limitations, my ugliness, I am loved and am able to love in return. Happy Valentine's Day, a bit late, dear ones near and far.