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Friday, July 27, 2012

I'm Not Blinking

This evening Jeff took the boys bowling for David's family night, which was Plan B because a storm cancelled our original (outdoor) plans.  Although I would normally have gone along, the two bushels of peaches staring at me from the top of the air hockey table convinced me that I'd better stay home and do something with them, so I had a date with the canner.  Moriah stayed home to keep me company.  :)  (And then she up and went to sleep.  Some company!  What's up with that?)  ;-)

While I had the house to myself, I turned the radio to the local country station, which I *never* do.  Not that I don't like country. I do, very much!  But because so many of the songs don't come close to passing the Philippians 4:8 test, I rarely listen.  Tonight however, I randomly decided to turn it on, and I was so glad that I did.  The reason?  This song.



How often I need this reminder!  How quick I am to forget to cherish each day with all of its mess and noise and, in the midst of it all, beauty.  

So.  I'm not going to blink.  My eyes are wide open.  :)

With such wide eyes, I notice things...and what's more, people.  People like Moriah...
...sucking on her two fingers.
We've never had a finger-sucker before.  Josiah used a pacifier, and the other three were all thumb-suckers.
But this girl - although she still occasionally sucks on her thumb or on three fingers - seems to be settling into a habit of sucking these two fingers.
I'm glad I didn't blink first thing this morning when I went into her room to get her out of her crib and found her like this.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss that.

I'm also glad I didn't blink tonight when the boys were all sitting around the table, after their bowling outing, eating chocolate ice cream from Kline's, our favorite local ice cream shop.  Jeff happened to mention someone we know who is going through menopause and needs a hysterectomy.  Knowing that those two terms were unfamiliar to the boys, I wondered what direction the conversation was going to go.  Sure enough, Josiah asked, "What's a hysterectomy?"  Jeff said something about it being an operation to remove a woman's female organs.  Since I was certain the "what's menopause?" question was coming next, I went ahead and said, "Menopause is when a woman's body stops releasing eggs."  Although I expected a "ewwww, let's not talk about it" response, I was surprised when David spoke up so quickly.  And then, when I heard what he said, I had to laugh.  Clearly he doesn't quite understand menopause; but his love for people, especially younger siblings, shone through.  "Please," he begged, "don't get menopause until we have another baby boy!"

I'm so glad I didn't blink and miss that little gem.  :)

4 comments:

  1. Stop! S-T-O-P! You're making me have to blink from the tears. You have the sweetest family, the loveliest daughter, and I will always believe you are the best mother who ever lived. God bless you!

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  2. Oh Davene, aren't kids hilarious! I love the little finger-sucker - my nephew does that too. Your wee doll is so adorable.
    I'm now off to listen to your song - like you, I love country music (did you know that the history of country and bluegrass link with Scottish music and the very many Scottish Highlanders that moved across to VA and other southern states :))

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  3. Oh, oh, oh. I'm blinking back tears myself. David is so precious--and what a sweet and funny comment.

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  4. Thank you so much, friends!

    Anne - I did know something about the link between Scottish and bluegrass/country music. Not that I learned it in an academic setting, but somewhere along the way I heard about that. Would you say that Scottish and Irish music are similar? (Or is that highly offensive? If so, please excuse the question as coming from an ignorant American.) ;-)

    And Sally - wow. You are such an encouragement to me. Thank you for your kind comment. But dear friend, I do not feel at all like the best mother. In fact, I'm just coming off a two-day spell of feeling EXTREMELY inadequate - as a wife, mom, homemaker, everything. I'm learning - all over again - that whatever strength I have and whatever "success" I have comes from Him. There is no other lasting source. :)

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Thank you...
~ for taking a moment to spill your thoughts,
and, in so doing,
~ for being a blessing to those of us who read these words!