Day Colors

This day was painted with broad strokes of color.

Swimming pool blue.

Raspberry red.

Camp-fire orange.

No late-fees amber.

Fountain Pepsi fuchsia.

Lucky-in-love scarlet.

Giggle-box green.

Cutting garden pink.

But my favorite color was not one that hinted celebration or voices raised.

It was not one of mouth-watering taste.

It was not one of still-life beauty in wait of a frame.

Today, my favorite color was the burning-forehead grey of my sweetest girl.

My favorite color was "my tummy hurts".

My favorite moments were carrying her too-warm body heavy down the stairs; tucking it into my big people sheets, clean from the line; sharing a pillow as she drifted sad; burrowing my face into chlorine curls; feeling the rise and fall of her chest; whispering prayers into her ear and the ear of One who heals.

I am a Mama who marvels at sharing all the colors of this life. But grey is where I matter most.