Order in the universe

It has been a difficult week. We flew out last Wednesday to our nation's capital, and are all a little ragged from meetings and museums and jetlag. During the week we learned that a good friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, and another lost her child and home in an incredibly nasty custody battle. Little One getting sick on the subway (an apology here to all riders of Washington D.C. Metro) was just icing on the cake.

And it's only Wednesday. Last week on Facebook, a friend posted as his status that he saw "great order in the universe on spaghetti night. And I knew exactly what he meant.

Weary in my soul, frustrated by my inability to change the universe, and eyes puffy from crying, at least I know what dinner will be. I know that it's a meal that everyone will be here for--no orchestra or firefighter training or meetings or whatever. And I know everyone loves it, and that I won't hear any complaints about how someone hates this or this tastes icky, or I burned it because I was being pulled in so many directions.

I can put on music and enter the zone, creative and comfortable, and the kids seem to know that all is right with the universe when Mom is making spaghetti. It smells good, and they seem content that there is something they can count on. There are no complaints about homework, and they are miraculously not fighting.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason this week has been so difficult was because we missed spaghetti night last week. I can't help but notice that tonight we eat and we talk--and we linger at the table. We are putting the order back in our universe with spaghetti, and it will get us through the coming week.