Finding joy in sacrifice, even when there's no choice

This Saturday I had planned a mommy's day off. My son would go to work with his step-dad and I would get to play around with my Mom, spending a Christmas Bath & Body Works gift card, getting a pedicure with a Christmas present coupon, shopping at Goodwill (my favorite store!) and eating at a favorite Mexican restaurant.

On Thursday, the flu hit. At first I held out hope it wasn't the flu and Brady would get better at least by Sunday and I could go then. No such luck. His fever climbed to 102.3 and by now my husband was sick, so he couldn't have taken him anyway.

Somehow I managed to avoid getting sick, but I was afflicted with a very human emotion: SELF PITY! Oh did I feel sorry for myself. I had looked forward to that little outing for weeks. I love time with my boy and rarely go off on my own other than day to day work while he's in school, but I was really feeling like I needed this little one-day break.

Finally it occurred to me that I was approaching this all wrong. What a blessing to have a family to take care of. How nice it is to be needed and be able to serve others. That's what this life is all about. Their needs, especially when they are hurting, not ours. And thank you God that I personally never did get sick. Not sure how I managed that, but perhaps it was simply so I COULD take better care of the boys.

I wish these things would occur to me immediately so I wouldn't spend a day or two wallowing in woe-is-me, but they don't. I'll just keep having to work at it.

And in the meantime, I'll plan my mom-and-daughter day out and my boys will enjoy their bonding time on another day. I'm so thankful for both of them and the gift of being here to care for them, and them for me.