We went out for lunch with a couple who are swamped with caring for their two little kids. During the course of ninety minutes they took turns chasing the three year old as she explored the dogs outside, or found the puzzles on a shelf for children. We managed to pick up the conversation around the interruptions. From their daughter's perspective, probably we were the interruption. 

"We are living the dream," the wife said, laughing. "This is what living the dream looks like.  It seemss better from a distance. Close up it is pretty much chaos."

They have traveled together and concurred that the same can be said of international jaunts. 

"Every day the woman cleaning our dorm room in China would begin by washing the toilet bowl and would then use that toilet water to clean the whole floor. I would climb on the furniture to keep my feet from touching the ground. I tried to say we didn't need her to come back... but my Mandarin was terrible."

We invited them to articulate what they appreciate about each other, and they looked at one another with a mixture of tenderness and mischief.

"We have been pretty crabby this week," she admitted. Still it did not take long for both of them to come up with examples of honest gratitude. 

The husband reflected on the shift from one to two kids. "Our older daughter gets eighty per cent of the attention But she wants a hundred." The baby did indeed sleep through the whole meal,  just waking up at the end for a snuggle. 

Before we parted I tried to convey my deep respect for them, as they show up every blessed day to wash more clothes, cut more sandwiches into perfect triangles, let their daughter choose the color of shoes. 

Driving home I said a prayer for them that tonight at least, they would all feel a moment of peace.