Today I had a funny thing said to me while in a conversation with my sister-in-law on the phone and it cracked me up so much as our talks usually do and sent my mind reeling to the point that it made me think long and hard about life and the frailty of it. She was telling me about a recent surgery and she had gone back to the doctor for the stitch removal from the back of her neck. Now as a rule these stories of medical adventures are not something that I take joy in hearing about from most people. It isn’t that I am particularly heartless or uncaring, (although I have been told that Mercy is not one of my strong spiritual gifts) it is just that I get a bit creeped out by all the messy details, but I attempt to listen intently and nod in concern at the proper times. On this day I was paying close attention because my dear sister is dealing with an awfully frightening battle, one that I am prayerfully hopeful will be a conquest for the Lord which will reveal his mercy and healing power, so I am astutely interested in all the details, she is my husbands only sibling and has been one of my closest friends for the last 28 years. We have raised our kids together, been through ups and downs as families go, day to day crisis, jealousies and frustrations, good times and bad. We have had many times of rejoicing, we have been in ministry together (I secretly prayed for her ability to cry every time she walked into church, seems so caring!}, encouraging each other and telling each other the plain truth on most occasions. It has not always been pretty but, it has always been fun, we have laughed about all the ridiculous stages of our lives(this one being funny, thank goodness for cell phones in compromising situations), kept each others kids, stayed snowed in playing cards all day with our men and taken our family vacations to the beach. We haven’t always agreed but we have always eventually been able to talk it out and remain friends. We know more dirt on each other than anyone else, it’s in the vault and will remain until Jesus comes..we are buddies, com padres, friends and freinemies! To sum it up…sisters, she was there when I was missing my two sisters, I was her only one, even though only by marriage, she was with me in the delivery room with my third child, she made him a southpaw…I am convinced of that, needless to say… we are tight. So when she said that her stitches were so tight before the doctor took them out that “it felt like her pigtails were too tight!” it totally cracked me up. The visual was killing me and if you have ever had that problem, i.e. pigtails too tight, you can completely empathize with her. It took me straight back to when I was a little girl with pigtails and the awful pain, one that hurt your head all day long and it finally dawns on you after the headache that won’t go away, that it is the pigtails that are causing it. Then you have the decision to make…do you endure it or take down your hair and deal with the awful humps in your hair from the rubber bands? So you leave it up till you get to the safety of home and that is why it was such a funny thing to say..it was so childlike, so naturally plain and real. It was a remembrance that made me feel happy. Happy is what I want to be when talking to her about her situation, a hard one to stomach, yet she has handled it with all the grace and courage that I would expect from her. This is typical of her, strong yet frail on the inside, she will maintain this attitude of gratitude for her family and her Lord. She has much faith and she is a force to be reckoned with so good luck Devil! You’ll not win! Her precious grandfather who passed away a few years ago at just short of 100 years old, who by the way was just about the most quick witted person ever born, would often say…”bring me my flowers while I am still alive!” So to my precious sister, not just in-law but for real, here are your flowers, you are important, you are a valuable prayer warrior in God’s army and and a friend of great heart and love. The times we have laughed and they have been many will be some of my most sacred memories and when the day comes that we actually figure out how to be committed to our adjoining rubber rooms in the insane asylum, I know we will have many more, three square meals a day and all the rook playing we want. And eventually, which ever one of us that makes it to heaven first, be sure to find out where the best bathroom is! We have covered most of Tennessee, Alabama and the Gulf, that will be a new frontier for us. Seriously, we must always be prepared for anything! AHHH, middle age….ain’t it grand!
Category Archives: GOD
New York, New York
Today I had a very pleasant visit with my precious mother. She lives with my older sister, for which I am very grateful. My sister has taken the daunting task of “looking after” our mother of 82 years young and it is, I am sure a blessing and at times a frustration. Not to say it would be hard for my sis, she loves her with her whole heart, but anytime you have the full responsibility of anyone it can be a bit much, but she does this with great joy and love for our mom and our family is blessed to have our mom in a safe and loving place. For this I will always honor my sister for the sacrifice she has made. While visiting with my mom, whom of which I respect more than she could ever know, she was telling me of a time long ago when I was around 5 or 6 years old. Now needless to say, she like me can’t tell you where she laid her glasses last, but can remember the past joys and sorrows as if they happened within the past hour. Odd how that happens and I am already right there with her. We were talking about growing up with hopes and dreams for the future and I was relating to her how it seems odd to me that kids these days are many times without any goals or plans for their future. We debated it back and forth and we realized it is because kids of this generation or for the past 20 years or so have not had to struggle so much. We like most parents have tried to give our children everything they needed as well a wanted. I grew up not as poor as my Mom, but without a lot of the more modern doo dads of the day, hand-me-downs and such and I think I am the better for it. It gave me a strong work ethic and the strength to work for what I wanted as I got older. My mom grew up very poor, in a town that the main employment was a Limestone factory, Sherwood, TN, which is on the Alabama side of Monteagle Mountain. When the Limestone factory left, all the work left and men had to travel to cities close by (close meaning up a mountain and down the other side usually!)Her goal was to someday leave that tiny town and become something amazing, maybe a nurse? Well as fate would have it, she married a handsome man who joined the Army and took her to Germany, eventually, had 5 children total and ended up on a farm way out in Readyville, TN. Well, probably not the excitement she was looking for as a young girl but it was something. I am pretty glad, that is how I got here and I am lucky to have a great mom. She did have aspirations and her adventurous spirit came in handy after many years of marriage and the eventual time, after my dad left us, of just her and us kids, and later on she was able to take a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska to visit my older brother and his beautiful family, who was in the Army. From that trip she stayed and went to work on the North Slope, the gas pipeline and stayed for 9 years. My mom has lived her life renewing it over and over, never scared of the next chapter(or she never showed she was), forging ahead for a new adventure. During our conversation about the kids these days she proceeded to tell me a little story about myself. She stated that when I was home one day with her, which wasn’t the norm because I most days stayed with my Granny Maxwell, while she worked and my siblings were at school. But on this day she was home with me and she said I had an old handbag that my precious granny had given me and I was sitting on the step down into our kitchen in our old farm house. She said I was playing with the purse and talking up a storm (no!) and stated matter of factly that …Mamma, someday I am going to take my new purse and be an artist and go to New York City! I almost cracked up and said, why did I say that, did she know? She said it was because every afternoon of my young life, while at my Granny’s house, after lunch everything in our world stopped, and we would sit in the living room and watch her stories. Stories are Soap Operas and in the south we called them Stories! She said that the Stories were were all from New York City and I had always wanted to go there. What a revelation to me….I did not remember that, I did remember the handbag, it was black leathery and one of those claspy button closures on top for which I would usually pinch my finger every time, with one short handle, old school, old lady bag that always smelled like Juicy Fruit gum on the inside. The funny thing to me was I have always wanted to live in New York….You give me a good chick flick with New York scenes, i.e. “You’ve Got Mail” and I am there. I have told my husband and he has always known of my desire to go to the Big Apple and has told me plenty of times he would take me someday, I am still waiting, not in a hurry, I will go when it is the right time for me to, But I never knew I had that dream so young…to be an Artist and live in NYC! I may never be a famous artist, I realize my limitations but I might just get there someday? For this time in my life, the Lord made a different path to take, He set me on HIS path and it has been rewarding and a blessing, He gave me so much more than I had ever dreamed of, I am blessed. But someday I will go. This brings me finally to the point…I had a dream, hopes of a future, I always knew there could be MORE! It boggles my mind at the inability of the younger than me people of today who have nothing they want to do, not about money or success, but a dream, a hope of if there was nothing standing in their way. I don’t really know what to make of it, it saddens me, once a person looses hope, what is left? There is a song that Martina McBride made famous a few years ago, which to this day makes me cry when I hear it. It talks about getting out there and going for it, whatever IT is, just at least try…just dance! That is what I hope for my own precious children whom I have attempted to have influence on these past 26 years….JUST DANCE! Whatever you want in your heart of hearts, whatever it takes to make it happen…go for it. The worst thing that could happen is you could fail…so what. Failure is sometimes the best thing. It can cause us to get up and try again, which in turn builds character and faith and causes us to live and not waste away with what could have been. I still have hopes and dreams, I am not to old, I know there must be more and I will not miss the chance to dance( with my beautiful husband, hand in hand) and one day it might just be in New York, New York!!!
Amazing Love
As I write my thoughts today, I am reminded of the most memorable day of my life with the exception of my Wedding Day, which was of course the day that changed my destiny forever.
But the memories that I have today are of the most amazing event that could ever happen. At the time I had only known about God for a few short months, I had only snip its of the awe inducing world of God and they weren’t much. I do attribute any knowledge of Biblical matters to my sister who is right above me in the birth order. There would be times when I would have questions, I would hear about it in school; this was back when it was normal to hear about God and the baby JESUS at school, and I would ask my sister. She being an avid reader, to the point of that’s all she did when she had the time after farm and house chores, she would ALWAYS find the event in the BIBLE and make me read about it. NEVER would she just cut to the chase and tell me, I would have to work for it and of course this would full fill her need to make me read more, for which I now thank her, I finally like to read, it is a delicacy in the world of four kids.
But back then I really only knew the high points, Christmas, Easter blah, blah, blah! At the time of my first pregnancy I had only given my heart to this God I speak of about a year earlier and being a new christian I was in the baby steps myself. I did have a good teacher thou, my new husband was raised in the “way” of the Lord. He had not always been all fired up about it but as the scripture states (paraphrased a lot) teach them and when they are old they will always return to it! It worked…He came back to it or should I say the Lord and he did it in a big way, all in that one was.. I was glad but he really got sold out and here I am twenty eight years later a preachers wife…..geez!
This brings me to this amazing event that was about to happen, how can after all the new events that had happened to me in the past nearly two years, married to my best friend (love of my life, funniest guy I ever met and loves me more than I deserve), salvation (getting to live in heaven someday and dodging the impending doom I was headed for) and now this…..the greatest miracle ever done. People say that it is a great thing but even a dog can do it and a lot more at one time ( I assume a man said that not that I am male bashing but really?) This momentous event is the birth of my first child. This is even more of a miracle than the obvious and anyone who ever knew me could attest to that fact. I was reminded recently that I had written in my High School Annual(Go Patriots ’77) that I thought then I would probably become a teacher and at a last resort get married. My hopes were not high at that time, I was a scrawny high school senior who had not yet crossed over to the maturity level of my peers at least physically.
Needless to say I didn’t get asked out much, I had lots of big brothers though which was actually more fun! The idea of marriage and kids were ridiculous and I am not exactly sure how it happened, maybe I was sold into white slavery, ambushed by a masked man who kidnapped me and brainwashed me? HaHa Nope, just saw a boy who was scary……..(Robert Redford-like) beautiful and blonde….that’s all she wrote…I was bitten..the love bug won…yeah for love bugs! This brings me to the birth…that event that made time stand still, on this day I became a mommie, I fell in love in a way that is only understood by those that have had the same event happen to them…wow it is amazing, the amazing love! How could this squishy little punk have such an impact on a reasonably smart woman. First of all, how in this world did all that happen inside of ME! Seriously, who thought that up? And how did he figure all that out? Never did I ever realize the existence of GOD as I did at that moment…wowza! did that really happen? I was awake, although I had a C-section….surprise! scary and totally foreign….I had never been in the hospital before and it was freaky and a bit unexpected, I was secretly happy, the thought of screaming my guts out and pushing that almost ten pounder through that Holy of Holies….well, that was an awful part of the event, Gods little gotcha….stupid apple, Eve what in the heck were you thinkin’, thanks for causing all of eternity to suffer well, the girls, typical! Not me sista..I got a pass, and boy o’ boy was I happy…five days of bed rest and pampering by my scared to death husband. He was as flipped out by the rush into surgery as I was. Worked in my favor though so cool. I never looked back, that’s the way to go, I say. Â So I was alert and I still say…how did that all happen, God is so smart, he is God for pete’s sake. This is an undeniable fact….HE really does know what he is doing, that is awesome, building a whole person inside one young girls body. Totally terrific and amazing, that is the only word for it….AMAZING! Â God gave me a little boy, we named him after his daddy, a junior, and it was the incredible thing that made me know how tender and precious life is. It all went well, he was strong and perfect and I was in love..immediately. How could God allow this to happen within Mary’s womb and allow his only son to be slaughtered by his own people, the chosen ones. Why would HE go through the pain He must have had and give up the only real and precious person he created only to know he would suffer? Â Amazing love, that is why. I get it…He loves me that much, we are all His children and He loves us all that much. I can’t see it and it must be why He is God. I know I couldn’t do it but HE did..thank you my sweet Lord. And now on the eve of my own first borns birth, twenty seven years ago, I am still in awe of the miracle of birth. I am thankful for that child of mine and the three others that followed but, I must say the first time is amazing…Happy Birthday to my first born. Â The amazing love that I have for you, is pale in comparison to how much the Lord loves you. You have blessed my life and I am comforted in the fact that HE loves you even more than me and HE will always keep his hand on your life, choose Him everyday, HE picked you out especially for me and I am honored to be your mom. Even if you are a “pill” most days!
Reflection
When a person gets to a certain age it becomes apparent that the days are shorter and the time that we had which seemed so abundant is now only fleeting memories. My son is so looking forward to summer vacation. The clock couldn’t tick any faster for him..he is so ready to be out of middle school and move on the High School. Okay I must stop there for a minute. WHAT!!! High School already…case in point! He is the age that my oldest son was when he was born….good grief! Geeez….I can’t even talk about it with out getting misty eyed. The hard thing for me is that these days of reflection seem to be coming upon me more and more. I can hardly get through one day without reminiscing about the life I have had in the past thirty years…WHAT! 30 years!!! Oh my goodness…I have been with my husband for 30 yrs and well where did the time go? WOW! I mean I can remember so well all those times then…seriously…the beautiful blond hair and blue eyes with cute freckles on his nose that instantly made me take a second look at him. It is a fact that Hubble Gardner had nothing on him…this man of mine. I knew he was the ONE! We were on our way and a few years later we were blessed with a beautiful, blond, blue eyed baby boy…twenty seven years ago…WHAT!!! 27 years…I am about to give myself a heart attack! Later we had three more to follow, each one just as special as the first, just a beautiful. And then I realize we have four! Yowza! These have been good times, mostly and when it was hard or is hard it is my memories and my reflections back that keep me going. I don’t believe in looking back..turning into a pillar of salt is not my idea of a good time! Reflection is a good thing, it allows me to take stock of where I have been and what I value the most. I am able to adjust and give thanks to the one who has kept us all from harm. He is a good God, He has allowed us to walk this path with Him alongside us. He has given us the strength, He has carried us when we couldn’t go another step. Even so today I feel Him holding me up, encouraging me and standing with me in the gap, as I interceded for my family and my friends. This life can be interesting to say the least. I never know each day what twist or turn will come. All I do know is that I know who to turn to and that it is His comfort that keeps me, His abiding love that catches my tears and surrounds me like a warm blanket. Just the way I do as I mother these babies of mine. I have had a good teacher.
Even so Lord……
Even So Lord…come quickly! All this talk about the end of the world…the Rapture of the Saints which is suppose to happen tomorrow, May 21, 2011, can be a bit disturbing. Not because I am not a believer or I am not ready, on the contrary. I know that I have the Blood of Jesus covering me, I know I have the Grace of God and His spirit running through me…I know that I Know that I KNOW, I am saved from a horrible eternity spent in Hell. I know there will be snakes there…wasn’t a hard decision some 30 yrs ago! I believe! The sad part is the multitudes of humankind that do not have that assurance, people who are clueless to what all that even means or what it takes to be “safe.” I have to think that if I truly have all this surety that my sins are forgiven..( I keep a short list on that one, I wouldn’t trust myself to go very long with one of those things looming over me, ha) I feel like I would have some sense of anticipation, a feeling of this is the time. But the people in the days of Noah didn’t seem to realize it, it is a for sure brain teezer..were all the people on earth way back then heathens? Was there nobody who said…hmmm maybe that dude is right, so just in case I am throwing in with ole’ Noah. What do we have to loose…our pride? I just don’t know…God is the only one who does. I can’t spend all my time on what was, I can only do my best to keep on top of what IS. If it happens tomorrow…Praise the Lord! If not, then there is a lot of work to be done. One thing I see good is that there have been a multitude of people talking about it…The Rapture, that is! I haven’t often heard that much in the news before now….if it brings people to their knees then it has been a good thing. The truth is the truth…WAKE UP WORLD…THIS IS GONNA WRAP UP SOONER THAN LATER! It will happen…some day, in Gods time. My prayer is that we all are ready..to all my family and friends…be ready…pray and believe…it will cost you little, but it cost our Lord it all. It’s not Religion…it’s a relationship with the best friend you could ever have. I love you all enough to say…Get on the Bus!!! Maranatha! (look up!)
Here’s your sign!
With all the current events that have developed lately, it is with great unsurety when I go to bed every night weather I will awake to find myself blown away or worse half dead. It has become a real life …now I lay me down to sleep moment! The times…. they are a changin’ to quote a well know philosopher/prophet/songwriter and it seems that the Lord is up to something. HE will have his way, one way or another. The awesome part is not the scary, worst one since 1953, tornadoes and the recent past, 100 year floods or massive tsunamis or volcano eruptions with a side of earthquakes; the amazing thing is that I have never heard so many people on TV or anywhere talk about the Lord. It has been a common thread, not a taboo anymore. From newscasters to reporters to regular people on the street. It is obvious that the people involved in the tragedy would be talking the about GOD; they have just been decimated, they’ve lost all their “stuff”… lost family and friends. Even when the man proclaimed the day that the “End of the World” was to occur…that got people talking. Even that poor man who seems not to have a grasp on the true Word of God appears to have played a part in bringing us into the conversation. The church world always talks a good talk but, when the rest of the crowd is interested and engaged in the discussion, the word Rapture was said over and over…. it tells this lady who is not a prophetess or the daughter of one, that this thing is wrapping up. These are the birth pains I have heard about. The signs of the times are upon us…it has been remarkable to me how much it is in the under current of our talk and consciousness. Gods love will prevail! One national talk host, from England, continues to call the tornado landscape Armageddon “like”. I have seen him over and over be in awe, as we all are, but he continues to call for us all to pray and appears to be moved with compassion. The church world looks for signs and wonders! Well folks….”Here’s your sign!” I would like to have a survey on the number of people who go through these life altering events and then end up in a church or synagogue or mosque or whatever the choice may be to give thanks to the God of us all who spared their lives. I would venture to say the number is high. None of this makes any sense to any of us. It shows no partiality to any one town or group or race, The Bible says, It rains on the just and unjust. That pretty much means ALL OF US! It turns out when all the fluff is blown away we see the real people that we really are, a known fact is…a nice new SUV flies through the air and smashes to the ground the same way my eleven year old, hand-me-down blessing of a Cadillac would…it’s all rubble when the end comes. Not that I would mind to have fluff too,(actually, I am very blessed, don’t let me whine!) but the point is that isn’t the important “stuff.” My four knot head kids and my loving preacherman husband are the “stuff” I want….when it’s time, I pray we all go together, Raptured or otherwise. OOPS! I about forgot our Buddy, poor dawg, him too Lord! All dogs do go to heaven …right?
Oh Christmas Tree!
As I settle in to an evening of watching my Christmas tree twinkle, I can’t help but think back to the days as a little girl. As with most children, the excitement that comes with putting up a tree each year is the biggest day of the season…well, the first in a row of biggest days, actually. Not to diminish the start of Christmas vacation from school and the biggest day, Christmas morning to say the least! That day was special as my dad or brother would go and cut down a big old cedar tree on the farm that we lived. None of those big city trees for us, nope…no way. And boy was I glad…that tree smelled so good, better than the others, literally fresh-cut! The tree was always huge, perfect and ours. My mamma had these beautiful decorations that she got from Germany when my family lived there during the Korean War. My daddy was in the Army and she went there to live with him. Bless her heart, she traveled on an Army transport airplane with two young children in tow. She recently told me about this trip, (these days she tells me a lot of stories from way back when, she remembers those better than what has happened today, bless her heart) when she went far away from home with these little ones all alone on a big “non luxury” plane that took her to my daddy, which made it all worth it. This was back when they were happy and even had a third child in Germany. Those were the best of times. I can only imagine the life she had there. Those decorations were beautiful glass balls and I had always loved what they stood for, beauty and adventure and a life that seemed so far away from what is was now. We also had the huge light bulbs all strung up in the primary and secondary colors, stark and bright! Cedar trees aren’t exactly known for their sturdy branches so needless to say it was an effort in fortitude to get those decorations to stay and not droop. We also had the bubble lites which were my favorite…always were a mystery! The tinsel was silver and like aluminum foil all crinkled up on a string and the finishing touch was icicles. At different years(when we were older and could do it ourselves) we would make ribbon chains for garland too and had painted wooden ornaments. Our trees were the prettiest of any ones….no ones ever could compare, I am pretty much a snob about that, unashamed so. I have no apologies to give because rarely do I profess so much surety about something about me. Even now as an adult, I will tell you if you ask me that I have the prettiest tree of anyone. A few things I know for sure and this is one of them, even though I no longer have a cedar tree, I am a city girl now and loving that fact. My sweetart husband did cut me one for our first christmas together…how cute was that? The second thing I know for sure, that man loves me, after that it is stuff like I know all four of my babies think the world of me, not bragging on me but them, they all have a tender heart and especially toward their mamma ( and dad!( I say they love me more..ha!))but We never doubt that one and I know I make the best potato salad….
bar none!!! Do I presume too much? I think not! This time of year brings out the brag in me and that is because I have so much to brag about…My GOD is so good to me….He has given me more than I could have ever asked for so I am only telling of HIS great love. This is my testimony of him. I am pretty sure he likes my Christmas trees the best too!
bar none!!! Do I presume too much? I think not! This time of year brings out the brag in me and that is because I have so much to brag about…My GOD is so good to me….He has given me more than I could have ever asked for so I am only telling of HIS great love. This is my testimony of him. I am pretty sure he likes my Christmas trees the best too!
Posted by Rosemary Mcknight Fritts at 7:18 PM
Ordinary Girl
Recently, I was reminded by my dear friend from college of a time when I had thought my life was a great as it could be. She posted some pictures of us laughing and having a blast like we always did. It made me pause with nostalgia remembering a girl I had seemed to forget about. An ordinary girl with big dreams and places to go.
The future looked bright; I had it all ahead of me.
I was young and popular and the pictures weren’t ones I wanted to hide in a drawer. For me it was a good time in my life. A Kappa ALpha Fraternity “Southern Belle!” It wasn’t always that way th
ough.
Growing up on a my beloved farm and then having life take an awful turn when I was ten, created a feeling of loneliness and abandonment. There was only one thing that I had on my side, I thought….but it was the best thing, Hope. Somehow during this time of unknowing and fear I had this tangible feeling, a sense of freedom that told me, “you can do this, you can have Hope!” I thought I could do anything I wanted, accomplish anything. I felt that deep down in my soul even though I had no real understanding of what I felt. I wasn’t raised with a strong christian background. My maternal grandmother whom I adored did attend church regularly.
But, I have not many memories of being taught any strong spiritual strengths from that time except for my sister who made me read the Bible when ever I asked a question that could be answered by the Word.
For some reason I have always had ….the look on bright side personality which is ironic because I spend most of my thoughts about myself assuming I will end up walking in a hole or tripping up steps and splitting may pants or something equally embarrassing. Not normal I know but I have a constant movie reel running in my head and when I appears the worst thing could happen I fear it will. On the flip side I have crazy feeling of “Hope” and I just believe that life will turn out okay.
What I do know is that I was raised with a strong work ethic, my father and mother always were hard workers, none of that laying around watching television for them, there was always something to be done. I know that if you want to eat you must work, if you want new shoes…work to earn them. They were not special, that is how they were raised, children of the Great Depression. They had little or nothing. They were just ordinary people living their ordinary lives raising ordinary kids day in and day out. And I was an ordinary girl but I always had my sights on an un-ordinary life.
What I saw for my life was fantastic and fearless, full of excitement and mystery and an unabashed determination to get where I wanted to be. I am here to say today that to this point I feel like I have made it, maybe not what I had first expected my life to be, but what I got was so much better. It has been a road less traveled and a road that has been splattered with rocks and dirt and puddles and blockades.
But when I total it all up I have been given a great gift, the gift of a belief that there is always room for more, the day can always bring better and I have the ability to make it a better day for someone else. I still believe I will become all the things that my little girl mind had hoped for. I have had some pretty exciting times in my life and I have been loved by some very fantastic people.
The mysterious meanings of life have been revealed to me (well, some of them) and I have raised some fearless children and I still have an unabashed determination to get where I am going with a pretty special mate to go there with me. I am still hopeful…hope filled actually; and for an ordinary girl who could ask for more.
To Honor
There are some days that I wonder if we all will ever really know what it means to really be loved. I assume the purest way to feel the unabashed love that GOD has for us is the love I feel for my children. I know the heartache and the heart joy that comes with loving my children…all of which can happen in one twenty-four hour period…who am I kidding, it can happen in one hours time in my house! When you are the parents of four kids there is a never-ending supply of ups ans downs that like clockwork are ever ready to tick tick tick away at your very soul. The amazingness (new word) of it all is that HIS love is just the same, only better. It becomes more prevalent each day, how much of a pain in the neck I am to HIM, yet HE is still here, taking my calls, answering the knocks and forgiving my shortcomings just as often as we parents do our own young ones. Each time I tend to get overwhelmed I try to remind myself that I behave badly also and to further complicate the situation, the circle of life reminds me of the sacrifices made by my dear parents. Then it is my obligation to honor them even when it is uncomfortable or not exactly what I may want to do at the time. This obligation is what I would assume every Jewish mother has used since the beginning of time as well as every other mother. I plan on reminding my precious off spring how lonely I am and how much I miss them when they take too long to visit me. I guess it really depends on the relationship we have with our parents and or our kids. That opens up a whole kettle of fish. I guess the point is by virtue of our place in life, whether we are the kid or the parent we are obligated to be there…happily….joyful…or just be! Even as I say these words I laugh since I know I fall short in my honor of my own mom. The part that really is going to suck is that payback is gonna be cruel…times four. I better start whining now to prepare for the lonely days of my senior years….not that I particularly believe in Karma…but when “what goes around comes around” hits I will be the worst of all the moms…times four. Lord help me to be kinder and more patient….rats!!!! It always comes back to me changing….story of my life!
Berry Good
While shopping the other day at my local grocery……that cute little corner market with the select fruits and vegetables and baskets of Daisies out front….,me in my high heels and pearls…strolling down the aisles …white gloves and perfectly coiffed hair………oops sorry, I fell into a dream sequence there! Back to real life! Anyways back to the point… With my worst jeans on and the chewed on the toe ( by our crazy dawg!)clogs that I can’t bear to give up……. I spied a new batch of strawberries. After a closer look I saw that they were from Florida which I have it on great reference that they are the best. It took me immediately to one of my bazillion phone conversations with my friend and sister, Ramona and her emphatic argument that only the strawberries from Florida are even worth eating…… “all the others from California are so pithy!” and after my questioning wether or not “pithy” was even a real word?….I finally gave in to her strong belief that they were the best. Her opinions on such random things were always confronted by me ….who would oppose her only to enjoy the debate, a daily conquest for one of us which became common for two such good friends…the volley back and forth was how we rolled…strong women as we both are, never allowing each other to win gracefully, but with total denial of the others wisdom, sparing was a way of life. Life that made for a strong bond and one that is sorely missed by me, left behind without friend or foe to banter with. Funny how that is, living without someone who has been such a part of ones life. It is a mystery….life as well as death, and I can
only make peace with it because of my strong faith in my God. Everything that lived will eventually die, that’s the reason we have to make use of the time we have….say the words we are too prideful to say, hug and be hugged, bankrupt our hearts on the things that matter, have no regrets of a life yet lived and only eat the good berries, anything else is just pithy!
preacherswifeintheknow 