Red letter day

March 31st 2015

I’m sitting in Max’s in my usual seat, but today is unlike any other I have experienced.  Mike messaged me a couple of hours ago to ask me to get a copy of the New York Times. This can mean only one thing – that the birth of my first grandchild is imminent. We had agreed that when Lilli went into hospital I would keep a copy of the NYT for that day. Lilli’s mother will be getting the Berliner Zeitung. I buy the paper and come to the cafe as planned to do some revising for my midterm tomorrow. In between study spurts (the Pomodoro technique. Thanks, Renee), I sip my coffee and savor the uniqueness of the day. There is some very beautiful piano music playing that I don’t recognize, and the sun seems significantly bright. The adrenaline already coursing through my veins in anticipation of the mid term is now full throttle, and all my sensations are heightened. A woman walks past the window carrying a baby in a shawl.  I try to focus on my flashcards as I wait for this everyday miracle to take place.