The blessing of a broken pinkie finger

Over the Christmas break I was playing basketball with Joe, JP and the boys and as Zachary and I were in the thick of defense I somehow went for the ball and broke my little pinkie finger. Well actually, I thought I had only jammed it and that the pain would subside, however, when it didn't and my finger swelled overnight, Joe took me to urgent care confirming a broken finger. Enough about that as my real blessing is that the broken finger slowed me down. We chose to have a quiet new year's eve and day. In the slowing down of my life, I had time for prayer, reflection, quiet and peace. I realized how much I was missing in just being beside restful waters, as Psalm 23 describes.  In this time of resting, in order to heal, I am finding blessings far beyond what I could have imagined.

Curating Cozy

A new year has begun. My sister Bridget sent a text to inspire us to be healthy. I proceeded to make french toast using fresh eggs, adding vanilla and soaking my french bread in the egg batter before frying them in butter. With our  Christmas tree and lights still up, I lit candles on my table and sat with hot coffee and savored every bit of these delicious homemade french toasts. The warm lighting in our little home made me reflect on what I would like to experience in this new year and my inspiration came quickly to curate cozy.  Cozy can mean so many things, however, for me it conjures warmth, simplicity, romance, good food, health, peace and quiet.  I am also beginning a home based 10 day retreat based on a book my mother posthumously gave me for Christmas:  The Song of the Seed, A Monastic Way of Tending the Soul, by Macrina Wiederkehr.  In the first session two themes are shared: 1. Quieting the Soul and 2. Letting God's word romance you.  Perhaps curating cozy is God's way of nurturing me.  I will be quiet and abide for today in this feeling of cozy. Mom, thank you for the book and your presence within while I enjoyed every bite of the french toast.