Beautiful Day

It was probably 6:00 pm.


And I was not so much in rare form in my incessant teasing and bugging and annoying of the brothers while they were trying to study.

I was trying, too.

But my attention had reached a deficit for the day.

And boy, was I ever in the red.

So, since misery loves company, I took to destroying anyone else’s focus, who happened to be seated in the family study room.

And it was working.

I suddenly noticed the long, golden rays against the mountains out the window and realized that the sun was setting.

The light of day was going out with a bang.

I yelled,

“Let’s go look at the sunset!”

And we ran.

Down the stairs,

Recruiting as we went,

Out the door,

And piled into the ’93 Jeep Cherokee.

Then we screamed drove responsibly up the mountain to an area where what would soon be ridiculously huge houses were just having their foundations laid.

There we had it: a completely unobstructed view of the dying of day--in full glory--gold, orange, hot fuchsia, and periwinkle, blending and fading into the pale aqua sky.

I thought of what a copy room full of papers in those colors would feel like. And thought that maybe I could contently spend my entire working life running such splendor through the printing machines at Kinko’s (because, with my current study habits, that’s where I was headed).

And then, as if on a serendipitous cue, we heard:




We belted the chorus along with our good friend Bono.

And it was magnificent.



I heard that song today for the first time since I’ve been back from Kenya.

And in an instant I was back on that mountain top

With my brothers, my sisters and the whole world before me.

And as the feelings of nostalgia wash over me,

I don’t know why I’m always wishing for tomorrow…

Because it’s a beautiful day today.