Skip to main content

What Did I Do to Deserve This??

"What did I do to deserve this?" That question is often asked in exasperation when things just don't seem to be going right. We all have those bad days when we wonder if we can handle one more unfortunate event.

Last week, however, I was wondering this when two good things happened. The first was on Thursday morning. My visiting teaching companion and I visit three women whose husbands are all finishing up their residency at the University of Iowa. Therefore, they all have found jobs outside of the state and all three have their houses up on the market in anticipation of their upcoming moves. Because of this, my companion and I decided that rather than visiting them in their homes, we would have them over to one of our houses for a simple brunch. We decided to have it at my house so their children could play in the basement while we ate and visited upstairs.

So, on Thursday morning, while the girls were at school and Ricky was at preschool, I was busy making cinnamon rolls, cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, and just plain getting ready for the brunch. Andrew was the only one home with me and I didn't have time to entertain him. So, what did he do? Did he cry and hold on to my legs? Did he make a huge mess? Nope, not this time! He gathered up his three favorite things (his blanket, a baby doll, and a pile of board books) and sat on the couch. He spent nearly an hour there reading stories to his baby.

I couldn't believe it. He was being so cute with his baby and books that I took a picture. You can tell how busy my morning was because I hadn't yet combed his hair. He's cute anyway. After he read all of his stories, he got quiet. He had been there for a long time, so I took a peek to see what he was up to. This is what I found.

What a sweet little guy!! I wondered, what did I do to deserve this wonderful little miracle.

There is a second thing that happened last week that left me feeling especially blessed. When I was going through Friday's mail, I found a card addressed to me from Rick. He sent me the sweetest, most thoughtful love note in the mail. He had been out of town in Arizona since Wednesday, so by Friday I was really missing him. His card totally made my day. How did I end up with such a great guy?

I was thinking today about all the good and bad things that happen to us. I think these good and bad things happen not because we deserve them but so that we will remember them. The key is to grow and develop the the tough times, cherish the good, and remember it all. I know that's not a new idea, or even a very deep thought, but there you have it!

Comments

Debbie said…
Don't you just love those days when things go so good? I am glad that you had a great day. it is so nice when the kids play by themselves and we can actually get something done.
March 2, 2009 at 9:50 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Sinking Feeling - Real Talk From Your Mother

Also found at Letters from the Nest:   https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/that-sinking-feeling?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Dear Nestlings, I hope you don’t mind a little stream-of-consciousness letter today. I don’t know if I have anything specific to share, so let’s see what floats to the surface. It’s a bright fall Friday morning. These last few weeks in central Pennsylvania have been lovely, sunny, and warm. I know winter is coming, so I try to be outside as much as possible to take advantage of the sun before it hibernates. I just completed the forty-minute round trip to drive one of you to the high school. You know who you are, but maybe in a few years, when you read this, you won’t know because every one of you has missed the bus sometimes and has endured lectures about planning better and showing your respect for my work by not requiring forty minutes of my life for your convenience. Anyway, everybody is at school and work except...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gavin in a Million Words or Less

 Way back when Emily was in 6th grade, her teacher, Ms. Grey, asked parents to write about thier children in a million words or less. I posted what I wrote about Emily on our blog. I wish I were more organized and tech-savvy to find the link to that post and put it here, but I'm not. It's a nice idea that maybe I'll do later. Anyway, you get to read what I wrote to Gavin's fifth grade teacher who made the same requests of parents: Gavin is the youngest of seven children. His three oldest siblings have flown the nest, so he talks to them on the phone and looks forward to holiday visits. This summer, his oldest sister had a baby, so he’s an Uncle! He has three older brothers, who sometimes make life tricky for him, but are also sources of wisdom, rides to the store to get candy, and annoying TikTok phrases. He sometimes wants to be more grown up than he actually is. This little guy is academically oriented. He loves to read BIG books. He rarely reads a standalone nove...
Post a Comment
Read more

Back To School Meanies

 Letter From the Nest August 15, 2025 https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/back-to-school?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web One August, more than twenty years ago, at an evening book club discussion, my “older” friends (now I look back and know those women were the age I am now), were discussing the woes and triumphs of back-to-school season. One woman was anticipating her youngest child’s senior year of high school. She said, “For more than two decades, our lives have revolved around the school district’s academic calendar. I don’t know how I will plan my life without knowing about school breaks or holidays.” I remember her bittersweet tone as she anticipated freedom from school schedule constraints but also mourned how those constraints guided her choices. What would she do? Other women joined the discussion, wondering if their kids would have good teachers, if they’d be able to balance volunteering in the classroom, how to streamline school supply pu...
Post a Comment
Read more