This morning before I left the house I asked my younger brother to spend about ten minutes working on the (very few) dishes before I got back home. He had a slight meltdown, explaining to me that when you have chores, school, and a host of goals to accomplish then ten minutes takes a really long time to get done.

He had a point.

This morning before heading to work I picked up my friend Sarah and her two little girls to take them to the library because her little girl had been begging to go. Well, somehow all of us adults forgot that the library is closed on Thursdays until Clara, who’s three stood at the doors to the dark building pulling with all of her might to get into one of her favorite buildings.

When I explained to her what was going on she sobbed for several minutes, explaining how much she wanted to go in, why she’d been looking forward to it, and how sad she was.

And you know what? I could relate. About the library a little bit, but about life? Yes, ever so much.

See, there are times when I plan out my day perfectly. There are mornings when I wake up and everything is going fantastically well, and then one little thing happens and my day suddenly goes from bright and cheery to dark and drab. It’s amazing how fast my outlook on life can change.

Since I wanted to do something special with Clara I got her an ice cream cone then we headed to her house and read books until I had to leave for work. She perked up, was happy again, and brought me all her favorite books for me to read.

But the reaction of someone who’s dream – no matter how short-lived it was – had been crushed stayed with me.

The Bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. It’s hard to have to let go of an ideal, plan, or dream. It’s hard to switch tracks and let go and move on. It’s hard to acknowledge that what you spent time imagining and working towards is no longer in the realm of possibilities.

And yet, sometimes, there’s something better waiting around the corner. Like ice cream and cuddles and Dr. Seuss books.