"Serenity Now!"

Coming from a HUGE city, to a tiny town has really been a culture shock for me. It has been hard not having a major grocery store- no department store- no indoor playlands for the kids...no library, all the things that I have taken for granted in the past. I used to think "which grocery store should I go to today"- as they were all piled up together in one spot, I could pick and choose and hit them all in one day if I wanted. Now I have to decide to drive to Fresno (45 minutes away) and pay the heavy gas prices, or pay the extra $$ to shop at the tiny local "grocery store". - it has been difficult adjusting to the changes, to say the least.
And then it happened.... last night, on the way home from my KB class (shout out to my faithful students who make me feel so good about my classes even when I am ginormous and barely able to kick- they still tell me I am working them into the ground- thanks gals). It was almost 9:00pm and I was winding through the streets of my tiny community. It was pretty dark and I was worried about wild animals running in front of my car and hitting them. So, I turned on my brights. I kept waiting with my hand on the brights so that I could turn them off as soon as I saw another car. I got all the way home without seeing one other car!Ten minutes of driving. It was only 9:00 at night! No other cars! As I got out of my car at home and looked up at the night sky with millions of stars blinking at me. I felt so peaceful and I thought to myself, this would never happen in the city! No traffic, clear sky, silence, peace, serenity. I took a quick moment to let my father in heaven know that even though I do my fair share of complaining, I am so grateful to live in an area that helps me feel more peaceful. I enjoy the beauty of living here, the close knit community, the connection to nature. I am thankful to live here with my family.