A Gentle Day of Mercy

I woke at 3:00 this morning, the kind of early that still feels like night. My mind was foggy, and I drifted around the house for a good 45 minutes before the day truly began. When I finally settled at the table to pull my card, Lilies stared back at me. Mercy. I wasn’t sure yet what the day would bring, but if past draws were anything to go by, it might be a long one.

mercy. chastity. renewal. type of funeral flower. a moment of peace

The rain-heavy sky confirmed it — another stormy day ahead. The farm stand would stay closed once more, and the goats would remain in their shelter. At least dinner was planned, a small anchor for later. I moved on to the morning’s real task: finishing the girls’ schoolwork prep. Last night I had run out of steam halfway through Aria’s scrapbook, so I was determined to wrap it up this morning.

sephy chose green

Hours slipped by as I sorted worksheets, laminated pages, and carefully bound the scrapbooks together. By the time I glanced at the clock, it was already noon. Dameion and Charlie had graciously taken over the morning chores — handling the dogs, making the bed, feeding the kids — so I could keep my focus. The girls sat cross-legged on the floor with crayons scattered around them, filling coloring sheets with bright marks of their imagination. Then came the sundials: Sephy painted hers a lively green, while Aria’s bloomed in pink. After that, they spent a while racing each other up and down the hallway until lunch.

aria chose pink

Nap time brought a quieter rhythm. I finally tended to my starter, fed Snappy, and set up my tins of lemongrass salve, ready for labeling. Charlie stood at the counter peeling peaches, the scent sweet and summery. I slipped in my regular cleaning chores here and there, keeping the house in motion.

aria and her poster

When the girls woke, the afternoon opened up into art again. We made summer posters, filling them with sunshine drawings, favorite memories, and bursts of color that felt like the season itself. They ate their dinner happily, then played until bath time called them in from their fun.

By the time they were in bed, the rain still whispered against the windows, the house clean and quiet, and my hands smelled faintly of peaches and herbs. Mercy, it seemed, had taken a gentler form today.