Jack and Noah had been in school all of 3 days when Noah contracted a terrible cold. I always brace myself when Noah gets a bad cold, because if HE gets nailed, then we know it's a bad one. (He's usually able to brush these things off.)
Sure enough, Jack was next, and that poor little dude has the worst time with colds. The day his really took hold, I did what every good mother would do and hauled him to the waterpark in Spearfish for the day. I figured it's just a stuffy nose, and heaven knows we have 169 of those throughout the school year.
Ha. Now I'm getting my payback for being such a responsible mother. It's my turn. I haven't had a cold like this in years. I feel like someone loaded my head up with cement. I've been stationed on our couch for two days surrounded by Kleenex, Sudafed, Motrin and Mentholatum. The highlight of my day is when a little fresh air is actually able to enter through my nose. What a feeling.
Anyway, I've had some time now to do a little blog-reading, and was reading through the blog of Mary Beth Chapman - the wife of Steven Curtis Chapman. WOW. (This is the family that lost their 5 yr. old daughter in May of '08). Here's an excerpt from her Christmas entry (sorry if you've already seen this):
How would I have lived differently if I knew that my time with Maria was going to be this short? Regretfully, I would have lived much differently. I would have purposely hugged and kissed more. I would have tried to memorize and lock away in my heart certain smells and smiles. I would have colored more and worked less. I would have laughed more and fussed less. Bedtime wouldn’t have become a chore to check off the list of things to get done. Instead it would have been more of an opportunity to listen about the day and offer whatever words were needed. The swimming pool wouldn’t have been too cold to swim in. The flowers in the garden would have all been picked, and definitely more ice cream would have been consumed!
What an awesome reminder of how precious the moments are that we have with our children - and in the grand scheme of things, those moments are so few. This woman knows that better than most. I soooo want to remember this every day - even in the moments of mouthiness and disobedience and struggle and heartache. We do make very conscious efforts to cherish our time with our kids - and interestingly enough, as a result, have been met with criticism from various sources - but I truly don't care.
And have you heard Steven Curtis Chapman's new song - "Heaven is the Face?" Oh my. I've heard it a few times and have yet to get through it without tears. Go find it! What an amazing family.
The kids are skipping soccer practice tonight. They are worn out and need some mom and dad time. Popular idea with some people? Nope. But I don't care. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Good for you!! Have a great time together... and I hope you do nothing significant... meaning, just enjoy a little down time and love each other (really the MOST important thing!!)
smiles
N
Who is giving you guff about your parenting skills? Let me at 'em... you guys are great! Just keep doing what you're doing! The boys are SO terrific as a result!
Hope you're feeling better soon! I'm not sending hug (think of the germs!), I'm sending fresh air up your nose and cement-free head! :o) HA!
What a great reminder Anne. Thanks for sharing. God has been revealing that to me very abruptly lately . . . put away the vacuum, get off the phone, stop folding laundry and play with your son! It's hard to remember in the midst of the craziness of life. But so important! Hope you are all feeling better! Lots of love!
Post a Comment