And all I have is gratitude to offer You...

I really like Raffi. I grew up not only listening but also singing and dancing to his music as a child in my living room. As an adult, I still enjoy listening to him and hearing my child sing the songs in her own quirky way, even though the CD is on constant repeat in the car and I can only sing "Knees up Mother Brown" or "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" so many times before going completely insane. Still, sometimes, it is nice to listen to the radio every now and then, alone in my car, able to think, to breathe, to be thankful.

I get away every Monday night, and for that I am blessed. But tonight was completely different than any Monday night. See, on Mondays, I get together with people I mostly don't know very well who come from all parts of life united by the common bond of knitting and usually not much else. We talk, have a nice time, share our projects, and get back to our lives. It's a fun group, but not one that I would invite into the rest of my life (with the exception of a friend I had pre-knitting group who I invited to join and is now a regular). So there is one small compartment of my life.

Tonight, on the other hand, our small group of mommies bravely left our children with their daddies in order to have an evening to enjoy dessert and adult conversation without having to worry about diapers, sippy cups, and toys. Women who mostly wouldn't know each other if it weren't for our children, united by the common bond of stay-at-home-motherhood and who sometimes seem to know more about each other's children than each other, we sat, as old friends, enjoying life and each other's company. Women with whom we realize we have much more in common than the love of our kids. It was fascinating and wonderful to get to know the individuals behind the children who are so often the focus everyday. To appreciate who they are and to know that I am blessed to know these great mothers, these great wives, these great people. It was a rare and lovely opportunity that left me feeling satisfied and full (of more than just the fruit tart I ate).

The icing on the cake was waiting for me in the car on the radio, Nichole Nordeman's song "Holy", a reminder of the source of all good things and the gratitude I feel for the beautiful life I lead and the road that led me to it.

So tonight, I am full. Tonight I am thankful. And tomorrow I will continue to be thankful, even when I have to switch back to the Raffi CD.

"Only me on my knees, singing HOLY!"