Just Happy

Glad to start the week. The weather has been so Fall like-cool for Texas. This week I teach a Dr. Seuss unit and Bats for our nocturnal unit. Just so very excited. Happy with my children. Chelsea is getting on track, Justin has adjusted to the move to San Antonio and Jacob has made lots of friends at his new school.

And the very, very best...planning our 25th wedding anniversary. Glad to have spent 25 years with Paul. He's such a good person.

Dad

It is hard to have a conversation with dad these days. His memory is gone most of the time. He asks the same questions over and over not remembering things from seconds before.

I was thinking this morning of when I got back from a 3 week trip to Europe. I had just graduated high school. I was ready to move out of the house. I was going to live in a dorm at college. While at Europe, I had made a daily log of what I had done each day. Dad sat and read every page asking me questions about what I had written. At that time there seemed to be very little dad and I had to talk about. I no longer wanted to ride behind him on motorcycle rides or play putt putt golf. Thinking back as a 40 something adult, dad made the effort to be involved in my life by reading my Europe diary.

May every parent be involved in their child's life.

Am I willing to learn?

"We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn" Mary Catherine Bateson

Going through lots of thinking when I hear how much my dad has lost with his memory. I want to learn more about what is going on, how to take care of him but there is such a fear of the unknown.

I would like to drive him to Georgia to see his family there, but if he has trouble with bowel movements....can I handle that? What can I handle? I know I am not as fragile as I use to be. Pondering just what I can do. How can I help? Am I willing to learn how to care for him?

Die in Christ

I woke up with the hardest thoughts on my mind. A friend told me that when her children were young she prayed for health, happiness and safety. Now that they are older, she prays that if they die, they die in the Lord.

As much as I hate to think that is where I need to be, I am afraid she is right. The most important thing is that they die in Christ. I have a child with very risky behavior and I know that none of us are destined to stay in this world.

I pray that God is in our hearts and minds this day. Amen.

Peace

"Neither become obsessed with circumstances nor forego awareness of them."

My brother has been posting from Hua Hu Ching, and this quote I do agree with. I think you have to come to a certain place before you can actually stop obsessing and realize you need to enjoy life. God has taken me through the fire and I do believe that he does not want us to obsess but look to Him.

May we all feel peace.

Passage of time

Jacob is in 8th grade now and informed me that he would start buying his lunch. Since kindergarten I have made the lunches of all 3 kids, now my youngest wants to eat like all his friends--they buy, they don't bring.

When I picked Jacob up from his youth group meeting tonight I wasn't quite sure what to do. My husband and I drove up, we saw Jacob up by the basketball goal. I looked at Paul and said "our oldest would have been mortified if I walked up to get him, but Jacob doesn't look like he will notice us." We waited, then decided to walk up. I tried to be cool. I wanted him just to notice we were there and not embarass him. He looked over and smiled.

Ahhh, the passage of time, but I love every stage of my children's lives.

Stop, Look and Listen

A friend was telling me that she was late for work because her and her son saw an animal nursing it's babies and had to stop and see the wonder of an event they hadn't seen before. May we all stop, look and listen. There are so many beauties to behold.