Flashes

Do you ever get those flashes of awareness?  Aware of exactly where you are and how you feel?  I had one today.  We were walking out of the mall (one of our begrudging annual trips) having just bought the boys' winter coats courtesy my mother.  Owen was carrying the big bag of coats pretending it was incredibly heavy, Ernie was bugging and tickling Leo and making him giggle.  The sun was shining, I was laughing and we all felt so happy.  And I just had this flash of awareness and thought that maybe some of the challenges I have had, and continue to have as well all do----maybe they are just the price I have to pay for the incredible joy that I get from Ernie and my boys.  And you know?  They're worth it.  I know life isn't that simplistic but there's got to be an element of truth to that, don't you think?  Otherwise why would I have been given this great gift?