What a day! The shrill beep of my alarm clock jolted me awake at 4 a.m. I fumbled to hit the snooze button but managed to knock my phone off the nightstand instead. Cursing under my breath, I rolled out of bed and retrieved my phone from the floor. There is no rest for the weary today.
Firstly, after splashing some cold water on my face and getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen to take care of my morning routine. My dog, Chico, lifted his head and thumped his tail when he saw me enter. The poor guy needed to go outside pretty badly. I filled his food bowl and let him go outside to relieve himself, while I also fed the fish in the aquarium. Chico finished his business quickly and waited by the back door. I let him in, gave him a pat on the head, and headed to the bathroom to shower.
Starting the day
The hot water helped wake me up, but I still felt groggy as I toweled off and got ready for work. I could hear my son James talking on the phone in his room down the hall. Probably chatting with his girlfriend before they both had to get ready for school. I envied his ability to function on minimal sleep. What a day.
Heading out the door
Just as I was grabbing my purse and keys to head out the door, James came shuffling out of his room, his hair disheveled and still in his pajamas. He held out his phone to me. “Jen’s been trying to call you for the past 15 minutes,” he mumbled through a yawn. Jen was my oldest daughter. James explained that she was having car trouble and needed help getting to work. I felt a flash of panic and quickly called her back. Thankfully, James offered to drive over and pick her up. Crisis averted, for now at least.
The morning commute was typical: crowded highways, careless drivers, and endless stop-and-go traffic. By the time I pulled into work, I was already feeling drained. I picked up a large coffee on my way in, hoping it would get me through the morning.
Things started off smoothly enough, as I caught up on emails and finished up a project that was due by noon. But around 10:30, I had a tense exchange with a coworker over a simple misunderstanding. Voices were raised, and feelings were hurt. I ended up going to my manager to clear the air and smooth things over. She reprimanded me for losing my cool, which only made me more upset. I bit my tongue and avoided saying something I’d regret. After our discussion, I just felt deflated.
IT’S LUNCH TIME
I decided to take my lunch break early that day, just to get away from the office for a bit. As I sat in my car eating a sandwich, my phone buzzed with a text from my other daughter, Emily. She wrote that her son Kyle had been in a minor car accident that morning. Thankfully, he was okay—just some whiplash after being rear-ended by a dump truck. My heart dropped into my stomach as I read her text. The universe was not cutting me any breaks today.
By the time 2 p.m. rolled around, I was running on fumes. I couldn’t get out of the office fast enough at the end of the day. The drive home was blissfully uneventful. No accidents, no traffic jams, just smooth sailing.
THE EVENING WAS SO RELAXFUL
And as I pulled into the garage, the day’s stresses melted away. I was determined to enjoy a relaxing evening. After changing into comfy clothes and pouring a generous glass of cabernet, I threw together a juicy steak and baked potato for dinner. The meat sizzled satisfyingly on the grill as I sipped my wine.
Dinner is ready
Soon I was sitting down to enjoy my perfectly cooked steak and crisp glass of cab. I ate slowly, savoring each bite. The chaos of the day felt far behind me. Chico curled up at my feet, providing the comfort of his warm, furry presence.
Tomorrow will be just another hectic day of early alarms, endless to-do lists, and No more family emergencies. But for now, I felt at peace. The steak was delicious, and the wine was exquisite. And tomorrow’s problems could wait. All that was left was to take my shoes off, prop my feet up, and enjoy the evening of Kansas City Chiefs football.