The Definition of Contented

It looks more like the dead of winter than the first week of spring here at Hundenruhe. Overnight fierce winds whipped rain, sleet, and snow against the house, coating it in a thick, nearly impervious layer of icy snow, the consistency of concrete. North of our area, over a foot and a half of snow fell overnight, with more on the way today. Unfortunately, despite wishes and fervent hopes, my school was not on the cancellation/delay list by the time I was scheduled to walk out the door this morning. So I dutifully bundled up and trudged out the front door - only to find the gate latch on the front porch frozen shut and the gate unable to swing open because of the aforementioned "concrete snow". Back into the house I went, and out the side door that was partially protected by our overhang. After slipping, sliding, and crawling up a steep winding hill on a nearby road, I had made it about five miles from the house when my phone signaled that I had received a text - school was canceled for the day! I turned around and crept back home, narrowly missing the thundering snowplow that refused to slow down as it barreled toward me.
Back home, I wanted to treat Dan to one of his favorites - from-scratch pancakes - only to find there was no milk. Making do with cream of wheat for Dan and leftovers for me, we had a rare breakfast together at the island in our kitchen, watching even more schools close for the day.
And then - the best moment of all - we decided to nap, Dan in his chair and I in bed with Baci. My little guy snuggled up next to me with one of his teeny tiny rawhide bones, I turned on the bed heater, and lay listening to the wind batter the house.
As I lay there, I thought to myself, "Where would I rather be right at this very moment, and what would I like to be doing? The Bahamas on a sunny beach? Eating a delicious meal in an exciting foreign country? Meeting a famous celebrity?"
As the warmth began to soak into my bones from the heated mattress pad and little Baci happily tucked into his bone, the answer came to me.
Right here.
This is what being content really means.
Even as the weather has at this moment turned into a snowy blizzard and the prediction is for another week of below-zero temperatures, I know that right now, at this moment, this is where I am meant to be.