I’m curious as to whether or not you “took stock” on
where you are in various parts of your life…beginning, middle, or end. I decided I’m right in the middle in many areas. The middle is where we actually spend most of
our lives, but are we actually living in the moment or are we just
enduring? What were your discoveries?
This past week we put 2400 miles on the car between
driving to our daughter’s, home for less than 24 hours, and then off to Ames,
Iowa. Words that personify these past eight days are: family, memories, family,
fun, memories, playing, family, and laughter.
Many beginnings and many endings.
Due to a T-ball schedule that had Bria, 5 ½, having
three games her first week (there are only a total of 8 games), Jon and I
decided we needed to go there versus the kids coming here while Elsa was in
DC. Forgetting the routine of you
wonderful mothers who are used to packing the diaper bag, making sure all the
drinks and snacks are also packed, getting dinner ahead of time, and making
sure the uniform, glove, bat etc. are all in the car, I salute you. Yes, I use to do that too but was definitely
out of practice that first day. I will
say I managed to get better the second time around. It’s all about mindset, right? T ball is Bria’s first experience with a team
sport. Watching her excited to bat, running
the bases, skipping back to the dugout when she had rounded the bases, and waving
to us in the stands was priceless. First
experience was a good one!! Zane wanted to be a part of the scene in the dugout
with all the other players so keeping him entertained and not frustrated was
another challenge. I couldn’t blame him
though…big sister was having all the fun. His turn will come just not yet. This
is Garet’s busiest season, but he did make it to her games…PRIORITIES! We spent the four days playing outside, using
the bubble gun which spews out a huge spray of bubbles at one time, playing in
the sprinkler, going to the zoo, cuddle time before naps and at bed time,
stories, getting their very first library cards, the kids helping make the breakfast
eggs or making applesauce, Poppa finding money in their ears, playing hide ‘n
seek, and also hide ‘n seek finding the stuffed animals…PRICELESS. Then there were the calls for Nana at 2:00 am
and Zane just needing to be rocked to go back to sleep, or Bria coming into our
room because of a nightmare, needing to come up with fun things to think about instead
and then sleeping with her until she feel back asleep…PRICELESS.
Driving back to Boulder, Jon and I reflected on how we
really weren’t tired and made another conscious commitment to our healthy
eating and regular exercise. We want a
lot more of these times in our future and with all the grand kids. My baking counter is lined with pictures of
all the grand kids. Each one makes me
smile and reflect back to the time of the picture and the uniqueness of each of
the kids. Yes, I’m in the middle of being
a grandparent, yet things are always changing, and it’s FUN!
The next part of our 2400 miles was to Ames, Iowa for a
memorial celebration. Uncle John, my dad’s
older brother, was 89 and passed away in February. My four cousins were coming to celebrate his
life. Along with my four siblings and four
cousins, we were all getting together for the celebration. It was an unbelievable time catching up,
hearing how they’re doing with their loss, celebrating with many stories and
reflections, and capturing moments to talk one-on-one. My dad passed away 5 ½ years ago, so there
was definitely some understanding of what they are going through. The difference is we still have my mom and
their mother died many years ago. Their
journey is to now figure out how they stay together without their dad
orchestrating the events. I hadn’t
thought about that before. It’s not only
an end but now also a beginning.
We had a special surprise being able to go through our
grandparents’ home. The people currently
living there invited us all in for a tour.
WOW! MEMORIES! As we walked through, we each had separate
experiences, however, so many common times as well. There were obviously changes but that didn’t
stop our reflections. We all remembered
the house being bigger than it was, we all found the CT letters on the chimney
(my grandfather’s name was Clark Tilden), and remembered the last time in 1974
when we were all there to celebrate our grandparents’ 50th wedding
anniversary. One of my special times
with my grandmother was her letting me play in her flour bin. Now I have my own flour bin in my kitchen. And yes, there are times the grand kids play
in my flour bin. The house triggered so many memories. The thoughts, the feelings, the times shared.
It triggered pictures in our minds, it triggered the love of family, and it
triggered the experiences we all have carried with us so many years later.
Throughout the rest of the summer, we have more
beginnings and endings. The end of this
month we are moving everything out of Mom’s home in Florida as she has now sold
the house she and Dad built 16 years ago.
She has her home in Wichita where she now resides; however, will no
longer travel to Florida for a few months out of every year. It’s time, she’s ready, and yet it’s also an
ending.
Beginnings? There
are several. Jason will move into the
new facility being built for football at Missouri Baptist University. The first building designated for coaches’
offices, meeting space, locker rooms and showers! The first ever football field is now
completed and will be used as their practice field for this fall and later will
be their primary practice and game field.
They will also have their inaugural season in their conference this fall,
as last year’s schedule was not with their conference. Another beginning - Bria
starts kindergarten this fall. It’s not only a beginning for her but a
beginning for her parents – the first child starting school. These are all milestones and are firsts. The
end of August, Jon turns 70 the beginning of a new decade. Though he doesn’t look his age nor does he
act like he’s 70, it will bring new experiences and understandings.
Many of you experienced the ending of high school for
your child with the new beginning of college this fall. Children received a degree and are now ready to start their careers for the first time. Several of you are new grandparents. Several of you are watching your child move
from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school, there have
been weddings, new positions in the current job or a new job altogether. I know many of you are also supporting a
parent that is in a health care facility or have even lost a parent recently. There are always new beginnings and new
endings. What I wish for you is to
recognize these as part of our life’s journey yet, there is a lot of the time
where we’re in the middle. Memories are
being created all the time whether it's the beginning the end, or the middle.
I wish you a week
of reflection.
No comments:
Post a Comment