Today, I woke up.

I woke up being mindful. Do you ever have a wake-up like that?

I woke up being aware that God was watching me.

Actually, it was the sound of the coffee grinder that woke me. It’s a wonderful sound. It means that my husband is home. Thanks, Lord.

Then I heard happy voices: my husband and my daughter. They were both laughing. Thank you, Lord.

I rolled out of bed and was aware of how good it felt to get up and walk to my window to gaze outside. It’s spring and the tree just outside has beautiful blossoms. Little crystal raindrops are hanging from the blossoms, catching the light, creating tiny  prisms. I almost expect them to jingle in the breeze. How wonderful to see this.

My cat, Link, brushed along my legs and chirped to be noticed. Something about petting an animal makes you feel good, don’t you think? If I could purr, I’d purr when Link’s soft fur caresses my ankle.

In the bathroom, I turned on the faucet and cold, clean water gushed into my glass. I shouldn’t ever take clean water for granted. I took my morning pills and felt grateful that I can take medication that keeps me from being a sleepy, itchy, puffy, thin-haired, mentally slow, physically sluggish, fat blob. Thank you, Lord.

I decided to skip breakfast because I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t hungry because I ate yesterday. What a blessing to live in a day and age where I can afford to eat anything I want whenever I want.

This is not an extraordinary morning. But it’s magical. Oh, not in the circus magic, or the dark kind of magic. I mean, when something’s ordinary but sweet and you notice it and realize that every second, every breath, every conscious thought, every ordinary thing that surround you, every ordinary action is a gift from your Creator: it’s magic.

It makes you grateful. and grateful makes you joyful. Not because you just got something you’ve been wanting. But joyful because you recognize that you’re ok even if nothing besides what you already have, ever came to you.

Recognizing that God’s got your back. And your sides and your front and your history and your future.