You guys. I’m soft. My whole family knows it. The smallest things can bring a tear to my eye. I’ve tried to toughen up, but I just don’t think it’s in my DNA.

So, this morning, when I looked out the kitchen window to see the shiniest cardinal popping out through the many branches of the trees in the creek…you can guess what happened. Tears. That fella (or gal) sat there for the longest time.

Work has been tiring for both of us. Long days away followed by busy nights with the boys. Pure exhaustion. Today while the house was filled with the belly laughs of the boys playing together, the high-pitched barking of two dogs, and a rooster crowing non-stop as I made breakfast this cardinal appeared. Before I knew it, I’d stopped and stared out this window for more than 10 minutes.

The chaos and my weekend to-do list faded away as I admired the impeccable timing of this cardinal showing up in our yard. We created this chaos. This chaos and temporary exhaustion is exactly what we work hard for and dreamed of. Beautifully, wonderfully, perfectly made chaos.

We have wondered many times if Memaw misses standing at this sink admiring this view while she did dishes. She stood here for 40+ years washing dishes of all the loved ones who gathered here. I can only imagine how many cardinals she got to connect with while staring out these old windows.

Today I’m, again (and always), grateful she was ready to pass this view on to us. The view that allows me to be reminded just how simply blessed we are to be here.