So, you know how sometimes you remember a bill that you’d forgotten about and it’s late already and it’s kind of a big one? Big enough to eat up most of that money you’d been saving for a Big Trip in January to a Magical, Whimsical Place in Florida? And also, your daughter is in the bathtub and the little girl you’re babysitting is crying for her mommy and you’re trying to get the giant peecake out of the litterbox and physics takes over and the peecake gives way and litter flies all over the place? And then there’s cat byproduct under those wire shelves in the corner, and the little girl’s crying and your daughter’s made a minor flood in the bathroom and now you’re all smashed up in that weird little nook, trying to take apart the shelves so you can clean up the nastiness below?

Yep. It’s been that kind of morning.

And maybe it was making me kind of grinchy.

But then I got an email from Dysfunction Junction, and it reminded me that there are wonderful, generous people out there, and life isn’t all far-flung cat poop, overzealous bathtimes and whiny children.

Because here’s the thing: Jenny (The Bloggess) and her husband decided they were going to offer up some Amazon gift codes to people who needed them. So I contacted her, on behalf of a family that my father-in-law met through his ministry work. They have two small children — a 2-year-old and a few-months-old baby — and they’re very much in need. The 2-year-old doesn’t have a bed, and they have very few baby supplies, and Christmas was going to be slim at the very best. So I contacted Jenny and told her about the family, and she sent me some Amazon bucks.

Awesome, right? It gets awesomer.

Bunches and tons of other people contacted Jenny, too. Not to ask for help, but to offer it. One of those people was DJ, whose email cheered me up after my perfect storm of a morning. She got my contact info from Jenny, and she’s sending another gift card for that family.

So now my heart is two sizes two big, Zuzu’s petals are back in my pocket and yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Thank you thank you thank you, Jenny and DJ, for being so kind and so generous.

“Mommy, what if something goes wrong?” she asked last night as I tucked her into bed.

“Nothing will go wrong, sweetie,” I told her. “You’ll be great.”

“What if I’m late?” she asked. “Will they wait for me?”

“We won’t be late. We’ll get you there on time. I promise.”

“What if Riley forgets her scissor step?”

“Everything will be fine, honey,” I tried to reassure her. “Just relax, close your eyes and sleep.”

“But Mommy, I just can’t.”

She did, though, and everything was just fine. Great, even. It was my girl’s first dance recital, and she got up on that stage and nailed it. She looked so determined and focused marching around to “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and at the end she bowed and soaked up the applause. And then she bowed again. And again. Her little dance class pals left the stage. She stayed. She bowed once more — deeply, dramatically — and left the stage.

I’m not sure if it was from laughter or relief or pride or just crazy, all-out love for that kid, but I was definitely crying.

I am a sap, apparently, and Poppy is most certainly a little ham.