The well ran dry

I have been completely stumped on blog topics this week. I even got tagged for the first time and just couldn't think.

In desperation, I googled "writing prompts" and found this site. Then I went to random.org and let it pick a topic for me. The ninth topic in the first section was this:

What is something you are optimistic about?

(Later) Okay, I typed all that this morning. Now it's the end of what has been a long, trying day--one little irritation after another. After another. And then a big irritation after that. It's going to take some thought to write about optimism.

Let's see, when do I feel optimistic? When I think about my family, definitely. I have one of the best marriages around, topped off with two of the best kids in the universe. Will said something funny in the car tonight* and when I looked over at Scott, he was laughing and had the happiest smile on his face. "You like having kids?" I teased him. "Yeah, I like having these kids."

Having a strong family is not a given anymore. There is so much "stuff" in our culture that can divide husbands and wives and parents and children to destroy family unity. Being a military family adds its own layer of challenges with all the uncertainties we face: the deployments and separations (or perpetual threats of same), the frequent moves, the constant resettling and readjusting. No matter what is going on "out there" everyone in my family knows that he can count on everyone else in the family. We are on the same team, in a conscious, intentional sense. We know it instinctively, of course, but being aware of it and watching it play out in our day-to-day reality is a powerful reinforcement.

So, there you have it. There's a lot out there that I don't feel optimistic about--let's not talk politics, gas prices or Biggest Loser Couples--but what's here at home is good.

*All right, I'll tell you. I was giving Scott directions to Target, and he didn't believe that my directions would, in fact, get him to Target. Will interrupted from the back seat with, "Daddy, we've been to Target like a thousand times. Mommy knows what she's talking about."