August 8: Sight Grew Very Dim, Car Appointment, Climbing a Mountain

And now Scrooge looked no more attentively than ever, when the master of the house, having his daughter resting fondly on him, sat down with her and her mother at his own fireside; and when he thought that such another creature, quite as graceful and as full of promise, might have called him father; and been a spring-time in the haggard winter of his life, his sight grew very dim indeed.

Scrooge is looking at a young girl, the daughter of his former fiance.  He realizes that the child might have been his own if he had followed a different path in his life, and he grows melancholy and sad.  In the "haggard winter of his life," he has no such creature to brighten his days.

I've been really enjoying the time I've been having with my own children this week of vacation.  I love being with my son in the morning, even if he gets up a little too early.  I enjoy going for runs with my eleven-year-old daughter, even if she spends the rest of the day with her nose stuck to the screen of her new laptop computer.  While I don't think I'm in the haggard winter of my life, I do have creatures who make me happy and content.   My kids are the very best of what I have in my life.

This morning, I have an oil change appointment for my car.  I'm expecting the mechanic to tell me I need some very expensive repair on something.  He always tells me I need some very expensive repair.  The problem is, I can't afford a very expensive repair at the moment.  I'm going to have to wait until my paychecks start coming from the university in a week or so.  Then I can start taking care of some expenses I've been putting off for most of the summer.

While my car is being examined, my family and I are going to climb to the top of a local mountain.  We going to bring some snacks and spend some time at the summit, looking out at Lake Superior and eating.  It will be a good morning, and the time with my wife and kids will prepare me for the news I'm going to receive from the mechanic.  It will help me keep things in perspective.

My wife is in a good place with her addiction and bipolar.  My kids are healthy and happy.  Just that is enough to make my eyesight grow dim right now.

Saint Marty needs to remember always the bigger picture, the view from the mountain top.

I'm not Moses, but I have a good view