It's the busiest month of the year at work; so busy, that no one is allowed to take vacation during October. And I have committed to another remodel in my "spare" time that has a non-negotiable completion date of October 14th.
Before going to bed last night, I knew I was facing at least four straight hours of meetings first thing. So I went to bed early. Made sense to me. Unfortunately, my body didn't give a shit and decided I would think waking up at 2 a.m. would be a lot of fun. After two and half hours of misery, I drove off in the darkness to the "nearest" 24 hour pharmacy in search of relief... which happens to be clear across town.
I was able to sneak in about one hour of rest before my alarm clock began screaming at me. Fuck. I needed antibiotics; I desperately needed sleep, and had no groceries for lunch... let alone time for breakfast. My chances of having a "good" day were obsolete.
Since I somehow survived my meeting marathon without swearing at anyone, or falling asleep face first in a pile of papers I pretended to take notes on... I decided to do the right thing and get some damned groceries after work. Like most, I'm hyper aware of my finances and still brimming with a little paranoia that they might disappear in the night like the now-mythological "stable" job, so I've limited myself to bare necessities and eliminated "luxuries." Luxuries like things that aren't on sale, or name brand items.
Because I refuse to waste food (and money), I had to buy more syrup for the box of never-ending pancake mix I bought a few weeks ago. I found myself tired, miserable, and dizzy in the syrup aisle... trying to solve the riddle of what bottle to buy. And then, I realized that what I was really searching for was just a drop of simple joy. The simple joy that we find in sometimes the oddest of things... like a bottle of syrup.
When I was a little, and very impressionable, girl... Mrs. Butterworth fascinated me. I admit it, for a brief time in my life, I really believed that she could talk. I remember sitting at the breakfast table staring at "her," wondering what it took to get her to acknowledge me. Obviously, I'm easily amused; but I'm also easily able to find happiness in the simplest of things. So I made an executive decision, and decided that the fond childhood memory of Mrs. Butterworth giving me the silent treatment was well worth the extra 80 cents and I put her in my cart.
I've already gotten my 80 cents worth... When I got home, I was compelled to take her picture, look up the article revealing her mysterious first name, and find one of the old commercials that made me believe in her in the first place on Youtube. Wouldn't you know, her first name is "Joy." You see, it wasn't her price tag... but her worth, that was most important.
5 comments:
It is wonderful to be able to find joy in the simple things. The simple things are what we remember most about our past and create the smiles that last in our futures. But sadly I ask for your thoughts and prayers for a wonder man, a father a son, a co-worker and friend who lost his life fighting an arson fire this week. He was only 39 and was the type of man you would love your daughter to marry. A truly wonderful person. Two other FF's were seriously injured and remain hospitalized. I don’t know why I feel the need to post this but perhaps I think that even if you don’t believe in prayer just one more person who is aware of his sacrifice is important. Always find joy in the small things.
My thoughts and prayers are sent to my anonymous friend and those close to you who suffered.
Such a sweet soul you are. I'd happily give you my Ms. Butterworth if I thought it would cheer you up...however, I'd have no idea where to send it.
For those in cyberspace who would like to know what a hero looks like.
http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/patjoyce/MemorialSite.aspx
Correction
http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/patjoyce/MemorialSite.aspx
Sorry but for some reason it does not paste correctly. I will take that as a sign.
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