A Week of Blessings

               I am sitting in a downtown Chicago coffee shop writing.  This morning, I am feeling very cheery and thankful, which contrasts dramatically with the dreary, chilly weather outside.  My glass is not half empty or half full.  It is overflowing with blessing for the week. So be patient with me as I take the time to count them and thank God for them!

               I left a warm and cherry blossom beautiful Washington DC to come to a rather bleak, rainy Chicago for an event for a client this week, on a flight delayed due to a mid-West rain storm.  The sleep that I was seeking on the plane was kept at bay by a group of gregarious colleagues on their way to a conference. It didn’t seem like a great start to this three day trip.

               The first blessing is leisure. The delay slowed down my usual frantic pace. I took the time to pare down my “to do” list to something reasonable. Since I was not able to enjoy the sleep that I sought on the plane, I read thoroughly a forty page essay that I needed to finish by next weekend.  Reading it all in one sitting provides a continuity that would not have been available by reading it in several increments.

               The second blessing is the chance to see friends.  I have a number of friends in the city, and I managed to see several of them on this trip.  For the most part these friends are now Christmas card and Facebook friends, so it was great to see them in person and catch up.

               Location is the third blessing.  I stayed in a hotel just blocks from the event and when I booked it, I didn’t even think about where it was located.  I stayed right in the middle of the Magnificent Mile, a terrific place for walking, and close to the L if I wanted to be more adventurous.  It was a 10 minute walk to Holy Name Cathedral where I was able to attend daily mass.

               Fourthly, I was able to have a surprise visit with my brother who lives in Michigan.  He travels to Chicago occasionally.  Our visits over lapped for one evening and we were able to see each other for an hour on Wednesday night.

               The event that brought me to the Windy City is the fifth blessing.  It was a well run event that raised awareness and money for my client.  I so enjoyed hearing the featured speaker, Father Robert Barron and came away with a renewed sense of purpose for my client, my work and my life.

               Finally, I have been able to spend time focusing on the business and planning portion of my business.  As a small business owner, it is far too easy to let quarterly planning and evaluation slip.  I purposely came to Chicago a day early and stayed a day late to be able to give myself a work retreat!

               I look forward to getting back to my life as wife and mother. And can do that feeling refreshed after this three day respite in Chicago. Thank you Lord for these blessings and for those I didn’t even notice.