The rain beats down on the house as the winds howl and the walls moan.  The screens on the windows are blotched with raindrops and the world outside is just a blur.  Outside, people are heading to work and cursing the potholes and traffic.  But within this sturdy house, my grown children sleep.  Soon they will depart and my life will return to its new normal.  But for now, their presence fills our home.  No matter what is wrong with the world outside, today, within my house there is love and security.  I sit at the kitchen table and know I have much to be thankful for.

In spite of the contentment, the worries creep back in.  Although it is morning, the night will return.  As full as my house is, soon it will once again be empty.  So I sip my tea and listen to the rain outside and push all other thoughts from my mind.  For there is one thing I know for certain, this moment is too precious to not be felt to the fullest.

http://www.theresadodaro.com   Author of The Tin Box Trilogy