It’s been a quiet day today for the most part. Little Bear had a few hiccups here and there but other than that, he did well. He just needs to learn to slow down a bit and pay more attention to what’s being said rather than jumping to conclusions and blowing up. Not sure if he’ll ever grow out of assuming the worst.

Scholar Owl and Tuxedo Cat were fairly chill today too. I mean we had a couple of moments of sibling squabbles and rudeness, but they were brief and by the afternoon they had all settled down.

I think getting the upstairs warmed up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit made a big difference. Living in an old farmhouse and using wood heat can be somewhat of a pain. It’s dry heat though so I find it comfortable and cozy.

My parents had spent the day grocery shopping and even they seemed fairly relaxed until it came time for them to babysit my brother’s kids. Even then, my dad wasn’t strung out about it like he usually is. I didn’t detect any strain from him until about dinner time and it didn’t last long.

I enjoy seeing more of these types of days. I’m slowly getting used to not being in crisis mode 24/7 and for that, I’m grateful. I think the best part in all this is seeing Little Bear in better spirits more often, like today. I’ll take it for as long as it lasts.

And whatever dark cloud that’s been hanging over me in the way of brooding seems to be lifting as well. I’ll take that as long as it lasts too.

Our lives can be so muddled with uncertainty and chaos. It’s important to recognize when a break in the storm comes around and simply enjoy it for what it is. We need to give ourselves the opportunity to let go of the negativity that builds up inside. When we do that, it helps to refill the inner well. We can’t fill someone else’s cup if we’ve run ourselves dry. And as parents it’s easy to forget that.