brand new day

the alarm went off this morning at 6:30, then almost immediately, the coffee maker went on—something that has not happened around here in quite some time. what i have not had a chance to share with you all yet is that the same day {last tuesday} that i found out there would be some pretty steady freelance work available for me through the spring, the company that my husband was working at {before he was laid off a few months ago} called him and asked him to return full time.

it was a strange morning for me to watch us both rising early and getting ready for work. strange but good. it felt very good. it felt full of purpose and security. neither of us are used to getting up that early, but it was worth it when i thought about what it meant. work. real, honest-to-goodness work.

so... things are still not quite back to normal. he will not have quite the same job as he did before. at least not for right now. they were in need of some other voids to be filled—responsibilities that do not warrant what he was being paid before he was laid off. so he had to return with less pay than before. i should say, he chose to—not had to. and i am in a similar boat. plus, in my situation, there may be days {like today} where there was not enough work to keep me for a full eight hours. that is a bit scary to me. but we are both back in the game for the most part. and that feels really, really good.

also... because i am working freelance, i will not have benefits. but b. will, and that is probably the biggest relief of all. money will be tight still yet for a while. but i can deal with that. i just did not like going without insurance. and now we will not have to.

so, although i was tired and groggy, the coffee was brewing and filling the house with a sweet aroma of hope. the news channel was on, giving us a glimpse of what to expect out there in that big world. and the air was chilly and damp. it felt like old times. it felt right.

i just wanted to share, because i know a lot of you have been following along on our little journey that so many americans and others in the world are also on. hopefully it is an encouragement to those of you who are in similar situations. be encouraged that perhaps things are turning around and getting better. that is what i'm hoping for.

and before i go, i just wanted to thank everyone for your kind words for my mom and for me. i got to go see her last night, and she seemed to be doing really well. she was almost completely her old self—bubbly and generous and positive. i talked to her again today, and i got a really good report. the doctor thinks her bruises aren't anything to worry about as long as they are monitored. her car is most likely fixable after all. although she is somewhat stiff, she is mostly okay. and best of all, her spirits are high. i {and she} thank you for your prayers!