(From Fall 2023)
The Coach has been challenging me to write more, lately. He knows it is a healthy thing for me to do. I love words and written words are my favorite. Reading, listening, writing... these things are how I process what's going on in life and it helps me think clearly. Those Thankful Thursday blogs when the kids were little helped me change my perspective. Reading posts from when we had 8 kids running around here causes me to HEAR the quiet in my house, this morning. Remembering is so good. Being grateful is a beautiful thing. Writing helps me do both.
Just so there is no concern regarding my understanding of these things... I AM aware that blogs and my little blogspot are a thing of the past. I know. I started this little page in 2007, when our youngest was born. He's currently 16 and a sophomore in high school. Time passes - rather quickly, I might add. Trends come and go. Things get old. That's how life works.
Turns out, I'm somewhat of a thing of the past, too. I passed my 50th birthday last Summer, so it seems fitting that as a "thing of the past," I am still here writing at my thing of the past blog. Somehow it works. Also, my mom mentioned the other day that I looked "so cute" with short hair. I haven't had short hair in over 12 years. Another thing of the past, apparently. One that my daughters beg me to leave in the past.
Not to be discouraging, but it seems that the older I get, the less I actually know. In spite of a growing number of experiences, years, ages, life stages... I am acutely aware that my experience is simply that. My experience. For better or worse, it doesn't transfer. Not even to saving my kids from making the same mistakes that the Coach and I have made in the last 29 years. But no worries, because even if we could somehow give them our experiences to build on? They would still need to make their own. That's how life works. We don't know what we don't know... until we know how little we know. And that comes with age, doesn't it?
Life with babies was HARD. But also, simple. Not easy. But simple. Feeding, clothing, caring for, teaching, training, enjoying. And extremely refining for us, as parents, as it revealed how very selfish we were.
Life with adult kids is also hard. The work is not of the physical kind, as a rule - although babysitting wears me out in new and unusual ways... but rather, more of the emotional kind. So much prayer. So much. Along with helping, when possible. But mostly just praying - as I see them work through and learn so many hard things.
The Coach and attended a beautiful wedding last Saturday. We enjoyed it so much - especially since it included time with two of our kids. But on the way home, as we were talking about what we've both been thinking about and struggling through, lately, we expressed both how very happy we were for the newlyweds - AND how thankful we are to be 29 years down that road. The comfort and security of this place in life, married to this man, and seeking to grow and learn together? Nothing better. Truly.
We talked about a few regrets - nothing we haven't discussed before - but mostly gratefulness. For God's faithfulness, for our kids who are our favorite people in the world - and for each other. God gave us this and I'm more thankful every day.
So maybe THIS thing of the past - me - should go back to another thing of the past - this blog - and resurrect the Thankful Thursday of old, and remember God's blessings on our family. This big crazy growing family... a good gift from the best Giver.
Happy Monday.
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