I’d been having what you’d call “A DAY”. Just trudging forward all day, through many chores, tasks, and obligations – expected but unrecognized.

It had started at 5 a.m. with a running workout (yay! The only thing for me and which energized me for the first bit of the day) but once in the door it was immediately into the tasks of making breakfasts and lunches and making sure one of my kids got his homework project finished. Such fun at 7:00 a.m.

After I’d dropped my kids off at school it was straight off to a meeting, followed by another meeting, and trying to fit a bit of actual work in before having to pick up one kid for an appointment. I did some work during that appointment but then fell asleep in the waiting room (really hoping I didn’t drool), while sitting with my laptop on my lap. After the appointment I was faced with a very moody kid and the task of getting another errand done (his haircut). I then picked up the second kid from her after-school program, only to discover she’d injured herself and was in tears. But we had yet another appointment to get to so I struggled to get two unhappy kids there. I was smiling and cheering and being cheery the whole time, even though I felt physically off with the wrong time of month in play. And then I read some very sad news about a friend. I just wanted to pack it in there. I was done with this day. But I had to keep going and buy food and cook a healthy dinner, clean up lunches, and get homework started (my husband was out of town.)

It was when I started to unpack the lunch bags that I looked on the counter, and saw… my medal from a x-country race the weekend before.

I normally don’t put much stock in medals or hardware. In most races I decline them because my kids are no longer interested in them and I’m not one of those crafty people who make things out of them. Usually to me, they just represent junk in my house. But I looked at that medal at the exact moment that I needed a medal. And I felt it. I stopped and just looked at it and thought “Ya. That’s my medal. I earned that medal!” I remembered that I’m more than a mom, a friend, a volunteer, a business-person … I’m someone who worked for and earned a medal. Tangible recognition for something I’d done.

I restrained myself from putting it on and wearing it while cooking and serving dinner, but I was close. And it made me think that we should really have more medals in life. Because my God, we deserve them!