Friday

The alarm clock buzzes again, and after slapping it a little harder than usual, I drag out of bed. I'll thank the powers that be I'm still here in a few minutes, but it's gonna take at least one cup of coffee to really mean it. As I pour the cup it hits me that at least it is Friday. Oh, and it's Friday before spring break! I wont hear a buzzing clock for seven days. This day is getting better by the minute.

As we all three go through our morning motions, the air feels a little lighter. We are all ready to go fifteen minutes early, and as PJ walks back toward the bathroom Taylor motions me over to the breakfast table. She cuts her eyes toward her exiting mother and leans in close.
"You could pick me up a little early today". she whispers. "Before two."
I guess she is pretty sure that mom would say no and I'm her best bet for beginning the vacation an hour early. The mark.
"But you're going to be off all next week". I offer even before she finishes asking; heading her off before she can finish. Stopping her before she can get her "hopes up".
"I know". she says looking away. "I'm just excited and we wont be doing anything really important on the last day before spring break. Never mind".
Never mind. I hate that phrase. It really makes no sense because you are already "minding". But anyway, why did I instantly tell her no? 2"00-3:00 what's the difference? An hour early would be a little bonus for us all.

Well I didn't make any commitment and we headed out the door. We enjoyed our normal small talk and I dropped her off at school. As I was headed home, making the mental notes of what to include and what to omit from just another day, I thought again about the 2:00 request. I hit the brakes to allow another car into the turn lane in front of Walmart. They were starting early...oh yeah...it's Friday. And I thought of a shopping trip there a few weeks before. I was in the lawn and garden section trying to decide how many twenty cent packs of basil seeds not to buy when I saw a little boy of about five round the corner of the toy isle. He was walking very slowly, almost in stalk mode, too far from the shelf to touch anything. His eyes were large and he was scanning the shelves top to bottom. His hands were at his side and he was opening and closing them, making a fist and releasing it. Priming them and then restraing them. The picture of excitement and fear. Kid excitement. Watched my an old man with a pocket full of money and a twenty cent seed dilemma.

Finding excitement like this gets tougher the older I get. I think we all see it everyday and don't recognize it. We forget what it looks like. We hope for a check in the mail or a low power bill or a pack of twenty cent seeds, and walk right past perfect opportunities. The look on the little boy's face as he worshipped "the wall of Santa". The free stuff. Am I going to the school at 2:00 today? What do you think?