Balancing blessings

This year we are working on a theme of holiday traditions one day late, and so I begin with a list of expected and some unexpected things I am thankful for.

1. A little boy whose hair is a bit too long, which makes him look extremely cuddly.
2. Mario.
3. Magical migraine medicine, because otherwise I would have spent the day huddled on the tile in the bathroom. Bouncing off walls is so much more enjoyable.
4. Dance Dance Revolution. Even though it is no longer a fad, it still helps drain that extra bounciness.
5. Health.
6. True Love.
7. Leftovers.
8. Two more days to procrastinate grading those exams.
9. Clear vinyl tablecloths. Otherwise, my white tablecloth and decorative runner would not be able to see the light of day.
10. Apples.
11. Internet.
12. Five hours of ice skating Wednesday: the boy's first time. He didn't want to leave.
13. Words.
14. Fairy godmothers and dreams coming true.

***

Do you ever look at the richness in your life and wish good times could be packed in plastic and saved in the refrigerator? There is surely enough for leftovers. And when the house is warm and the bills are paid and the family is tucked in safe and full of health, and childhood dreams have aged and flowered and now bear fruit, do you sometimes wonder how long it will last? Does happiness come with expiration dates?

Is there a balance somewhere? Somewhere in the cosmos, does someone watch the scale and notice that life is weighted far too heavily toward happiness in the Artax household, and it is time to add a little pain and suffering?

Please not yet.

How about we please wait until I have finished my novel.