OVERWHELMED

1 : upset, overthrown
2 a :covered over completely :submerged c :overpowered in thought or feeling

I woke this morning overwhelmed at all that awaited me. The sink full of dishes that I fell asleep thinking about might as well have been laying on my chest all night since it was my first thought before getting out of bed. The mountains of laundry needed climbing. The van had to be taken to the shop for a tune-up. A plumber needed to be called. Glass tiles to order. Before 8 AM, my eldest daughter A had asked if we could go to the local bakery for breakfast (closed, they're on vacation) and then asked if we could bake brownies instead.

I didn't want to talk about brownies (especially ones that can't be baked since I used all of the eggs in last night's frittata). I just wanted to drink my coffee and get some sort of plan in my mind for how to manage not just my day, but my expectations. I knew if I could settle my heart down, I could tackle the work that awaited me. But if I stayed flustered inwardly, I would have little to show for my day.

And then, when I am feeling overwhelmed by all that awaits me, K walks out of her room looking like this (check out her chest)


For the uninitiated, those are bendaroos adorning her chest. They aren't made to stick to fabric, but apparently this is what K had been working on for the last quarter hour as I heard her moving around in her room.

"Hi, Mom!" K said with a big smile.
"Hi, Honey," I replied with small smile in return. "Is that an I on your chest?"
"Yes, it's 'I' as in 'I love you!'"
My face split open in a smile as I replied, "I love you, too!"

And suddenly I was overwhelmed in an entirely different way. Overwhelmed that this tiny child could emerge first thing in the morning so excited to see me, so filled with love that she was nearly bursting. Overpowered by the idea that all of the tasks to do in my day were of far less importance than K giving me her first hug of the morning. Stunned that I could get so lost in the details that I momentarily forget the many blessings of my everyday life, no matter how overwhelming it gets.