Not my Own

We had the first snow this week.  It was beautiful!  I was a bit surprised that it panned out as actual white stuff.  So many weather events seem more like clickbait than anything.  I try not to get wrapped up in the panic.  I'll admit though, as the Hollow became wintry white, I threw a fist in the air and declared, "WE MUST MAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES."  

Blossom2 obliged me and whipped up a batch of gingerbread that didn't last 8 hours.

Watching the little Blossoms gleefully ski in the wintry quiet with Binney frolicking nearby was a sweet moment on a hard day.

When I say hard, I actually mean challenging.  

So many friends and family members are going through very real trials.  I don't mean to compare my days with the burdens they find themselves under.  The trials around me, that ripple into our lives, give me good perspective on the challenging days.  

I have certainly done my part in making our days more challenging ~ when my patience has worn oh-so-thin and I cease suffering long in the conclusion that my children no longer ought to be trying me in this way.

And the snowball effect continues.  

"Lean not on your own understanding."  

In challenging moments that seem to become insurmountably challenging days, whose understanding will direct my next step or influence my next word or inspire my perseverance for the days ahead?  

Not my own. Inarguably not my own.