Just Another Normal Day?

How often do I just blaze on through from one thing to the next, rarely stopping to look around and just ENJOY the moment?   So caught up in dealing with the day to day I fail to just appreciate the day itself. *sigh*  I don't think this is what God had in mind for me or any of us, for that matter!  I found these verses and would like to share them:

• Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  Matthew 6:27
• Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

It's time to take back the moments, sit back and relish them...

Today, I'm home tending to a sick Patrick-man.  For a mom of five, taking a sick day to take care of a beastie isn't too far beyond the norm.  But Patrick is his own unique brand of sick.  He sleeps on the couch with a blanket pulled over his head.  He is restless, wakeful now that the fever has broken; each time he wakes, the blanket comes down, he grins sleepily and flashes "I Love You" in sign, blanket back up and back to sleep.  We've shared an invaluable moment of connection, he and I.  This is a moment to cherish, I realize.  Setting aside the thoughts of piles of work waiting on my desk, the dirty dishes in the sink, the laundry piled up, the cleaning undone....I just wait for his next appearance.  Weird, maybe, but I think I will accept the challenge to stop and recognize these odd little moments.

What's a 'normal day' anyway? Around here that's an EXCELLENT question!  At the very least, we do try to make it normal to tag up at the end of our busy days, spending a few precious minutes together before we all head off to bed.  But it looks like we will be accepting a "new normal" soon enough...

This is a big year of change for our family--lots of moving on and moving up!  When the new school year begins this summer, Katie will head off to college, Patrick will enter high school and Ben will tackle middle school.  (and if you are saying YIKES! in your head, imagine how I'm feeling...)  We are all looking forward to the excitement and uncertainty of the future. But I need to remember NOT to look too far ahead, to STAY in the moment.  Quite frankly, I'm not entirely sure how I got to the point where I am the Mom of a soon-to-be high school graduate! (but that's a topic for a different blog post!)

There will be visits to Katie at college, new sports to follow, new activities to attend, new challenges to attack. New routines to establish.  And yet, somewhere in between, there will be today's normal, too--lacrosse practice, basketball games, choir concerts, homework and school projects--giving us a continuity that won't let us grieve the changes for too long.  Cords that weave the past into the future and strengthen our family. When we made the change from "growing family" to "growing-up family" all that time ago, I had no idea that THESE were the kinds of things we would be thinking about so soon.


Now y'all know that I'm a deep thinker, but you're probably wondering what spurred this unlikely bit of introspection?  My wise and wonderful friend Alice posted a quote on her FaceBook page recently that encouraged me to get my mojo working to turn it into a little printable so I could frame it as a reminder:

This quote will be on my desk tomorrow, so I don't forget my resolve.  If this quote would be a good reminder for you, too...click here to download the file.  You can pick a color scheme you like better if you want!  (Check these out!  Median, Flow, Module, Concourse, Clay)  (What do you think of my first attempt at turning a quote into something fun?)

The Blue Rose

My pal Erika Shared this lovely writing with me.  It was on a day that I really needed the revelation of a silver lining.  (Ever had those moments when you realize you've been waiting for REAL life, only to have to acknowledge 'this IS my life' ??  It was THAT kind of a day.)

It's too good not to share...so I will! 

A Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" ANON.