Keeping Up Appearances

Today after picking Graham up from preschool, we came home and the boys and I ate lunch outside on our porch. As we ate, I noticed numerous cars driving by slowly and looking at our backyard and at us and kind of smiling as they drove. At first I was a little concerned...what was I missing? Was there a joke I wasn't in on or something? Then I realized...Oh! This actually looks like an idealic situation, and they're smiling at that. Here's what they probably saw:

Chickens pecking in their pen, sweet potatoes that were dug up this weekend curing in the sun, two sweet, well-behaved boys eating their lunch, one in his high chair covered with food, the other sitting across from his mom, talking up a storm. The sun was shining, the leaves were blowing, it was the perfect fall day. Even as I type that, I smile too, because it really was kind of ideal for a few moments. 

I also smile because I know that those moments have been few this week, very few. Our week has been anything but 'ideal'; for every reason and no reason at all...it's been a hard week. And sometimes I think when we have those weeks we fail to see those little ideal moments, the ones that make everyone else smile. I also think it's easy to notice other people's ideal moments, and wonder where ours are, forgetting that in reality, their week may look very similar to ours, but we've just caught them in a good spot. 

I needed that reminder today; maybe you do too? Some weeks are hard. Some days aren't our best. But there are little 'ideal' moments here and there if we look for them. And then maybe we can drive by our own little picture and smile.