a full house

As the clock creeps towards midnight, and its slow pace reminds me just how old I am, we are watching over another change tonight. Primo has invited over his closest high school friends to ring in their last year together. Male only, because I am that old, much to my son's disappointment.

The living room;

does not include all the muddy clothes and shoes

on the front porch.

So instead of our usual celebration with old family friends, we are watching over their their celebration instead. It is not a hard job. They are good kids, and currently occupied with a hotly-contested card game after tiring themselves out playing football in the cold and mud. Hey, it wouldn't have been my choice, but it seemed to make them happy and I was fine with it once they showered and changed.

A wise friend advised me to reframe all the changes happening around here, to see them as new beginnings instead of endings. I will go one further and remind myself to pay attention to the many blessings that they incorporate as well. Tonight, we have a house full of them.