"Just a Potato"

  Earlier this week I was laying down in the evening feeling fatigued and a total lack of motivation for cleaning up my filthy kitchen.   I just wanted my day to end. The doorbell rang.  I ignored it thinking it was just a kid coming to play, but one of my kids got it and it was my visiting teacher.  She was a little apologetic, because she was coming unannounced on the eve of the last day of the month, but she had a bag of chocolate chip cookies for me.  I invited her in despite the filthy kitchen, and we chatted for just a few minutes. 
  That few minutes made a serious difference in the rest of the evening.  Admittedly part of it was the cookies that satisfied my sweet craving that I especially get when I am feeling down, and I ate way too many.  But I felt renewed motivation to do my work and connect with my family just from connecting socially and knowing someone was thinking of me.  Some of our challenges are the same and some are different, but I know we both face the challenge of juggling our time and priorities in the many different roles we fulfill. 
 This experience made me think of an article that I read recently called "A Potato for the Teacher." The message of this short story really resonated with me, because I to often procrastinate doing something good because it may not be the "perfect form" of good.  The cookies and impromptu last day of the month visit from a friend was just what I needed that day even though the giver might have felt like she was figuratively giving me "just a potato."