enough

I like this word, enough. It is very flexible.

When the kids are getting rowdy and are only seconds away from someone getting accidentally poked in the eye or otherwise inadvertently injured, one simple, "Enough!" can get them to chill for just long enough to lose their momentum -- perfect.

I like the meaning of enough, sense of it. Just the right amount. Not too little, not too much, just enough.

Today, there was enough... enough patience to go around even though the tired/grumpy me was around for a while. Enough cranberry eggnog tart to round out my leftover bbq lunch. Enough salad and crab cakes at Mimi's to make a really perfect pre-concert dinner.

Enough time to get to America West Arena for the Boston Pops Holiday concert; enough maneuvering room to back the van into the parking space.

Just enough self-control to not melt down completely during the concert, although I pushed the limit there during Haley Westenra's encore rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which made me cry even before my dad died 7 years ago.

Enough presence of mind to soak up all the different emotions DD was experiencing at the concert, to store them away and remember forever.

There wasn't anything extragavant about today, even though the three of us girls did get all fancied up before we went out -- that was just part of the fun:


The concert is never very long and I'm sure there are many who would find the holiday-themed music stifling -- I don't. This year I enjoyed the unabashed use of the word Christmas, and the acknowledgement that what we're celebrating is the birth of Jesus Christ... a subtle shift from the more politically correct programs of Pops holiday concerts past? Maybe, maybe not. I just liked it.

DD looked so charming in her pretty dress, wrapped in my fluffy white wrap, that many, many people were compelled to speak to her, to tell her how wonderful she looked or just to chat. She is oblivious to the fact that not every little girl attracts so much attention simply by being. She was very snuggly during the first half of the concert, sitting on my lap and giving me frequent kisses. During the second half she was more occupied with eating popcorn and waiting for the sing-along, but she just lit right up when Santa put in his appearance. MIL commented on the way home how much she enjoyed watching DD's reactions to everything. It certainly did add an extra level of enjoyment to the proceedings. There's something altogether peaceful about just going out with the girls. It was really lovely.