Day 940 Devotion

 

Even if I can't smell them, a beautiful bouquet still brightens my day. Jess stopped by to drop off a few things and, along with them, flowers—already in a vase so no work was needed on my part. She's always been great to me when I'm sick, ensuring I eat, drink, and have everything I might need. Daughters are good that way! In turn, I dragged myself out of bed to bring supplies over to my mom, who’s also home sick with COVID. She and I have been checking on each other daily, unable to be much help to one another but checking in just the same. 

Of course, Tim came home, convinced he must be getting sick, although he still has no symptoms and continues to test negative. I'm not sure, but I think he's slightly envious of me—being able to lounge around the house in pajamas all day while he’s out working. Oh, the fun he's missing! At this point, I've run out of good movies to watch, and my brain can’t handle much more television. So, I’ve been tuning into the Eagle family’s live stream to check on the babies. Two tiny gray eaglets are still going strong, and I even got to watch as they were fed. When I was at my mom's, I put her TV on the live cam so she could watch too. She seems to think that one baby will push the other out to get all the food for itself—survival of the fittest, as she calls it. Donna and I hope both babies will grow up and thrive, but there’s always the possibility that the third egg could hatch, creating a whole new dynamic.

Before I went to bed, I had to check in on them one last time. It was snowing, and as one parent sat securely on top of the eaglets, keeping them warm and protected from the harsh wind and snow, the other sat perched on a branch nearby, watching over the family as they slept. It’s amazing how nature can be so harsh, yet at the same time, it’s filled with such loyalty, love, and devotion. Those qualities were all encapsulated in that one image, and it was a beautiful reminder of what truly matters in life.

As I slowly start to feel better and begin to turn the corner, I was happy to see that my chickens were thriving. I collected a dozen eggs from the henhouse, and it occurred to me that it might be time to start selling some of our eggs—just enough to cover the cost of the chicken feed. My girls are now producing more eggs than we could ever eat. Even after sharing with my daughter, son, and mom, we still have an abundance! The feed costs are around $70-$80 per month, so it won’t hurt to have my girls pay their own way!

My daughter was happy to take a few dozen to work with her since people have been asking for them. It will be interesting to see how many extra eggs I have to sell each week, especially as my flock continues to lay in full swing. It’s a small but satisfying way to make the most of the blessings I have, even when I’m not feeling my best.

These little joys—whether it's a bouquet of flowers, watching the eagle family grow, or having fresh eggs on hand—are the simple things that make life a little brighter, even on the days when we’re feeling under the weather.