What Adorns My Springtime Table

There's a quote that I see floating around Facebook every so often: "The most precious jewels you'll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children."

With all due respect to whoever first penned that, I'd like to amend it slightly.  Here is my version: "The most beautiful decorations that will ever adorn your table are the bouquets of wildflowers and weeds that your children pick for you."  :)

 I was abundantly blessed today with these hand-picked splashes of color; it seemed like all afternoon, either Tobin or Shav or Moriah was coming in the door with another blossom or two in hand.  I soon stopped trying to arrange the flowers and let them take over that task, too.  They did a fine job.  :)

 My heart has been especially soft towards such displays of affection because of two specific reasons.  First, the way the puppies have all grown up and left us for other homes has been a vivid reminder of how, although the process takes quite a bit longer for children, it does happen!  I find myself missing those puppies way more than I ever thought I would, and I know the day will come when I'll be missing my children when they've left our nest.

 Second, on Sunday night, Tobin had a tummy ache that was so alarming that we almost took him to the hospital.  It wasn't that long ago that we all got hit with that horrible stomach flu that felled us one by one; but even during the height of that misery, Tobin didn't cry from pain like he did Sunday night.  His agony prompted us to google things like "appendicitis symptoms" and even to call my dad, waking him from sleep to ask his advice.  As it turned out, just after Jeff had said, "I think I need to take him to the hospital," and had gotten out of bed to get dressed to do just that, Tobin's pain eased, and he was able to sleep more or less peacefully.  How grateful we were that it was a false alarm, but how startling to be reminded of the speed at which life can change.

Since then, Tobin has complained from time to time about his stomach hurting, but with nothing even close to the intensity of that one night.  His appetite has been off, and his energy low, but nothing too alarming.  Both Shav and Moriah have seemed a little off, too; and there have been some complaints of tummy aches, sore throats, and so forth.  All three of them were eager to fall asleep this evening, and I'm hoping that a good night of rest will bring restoration to their bodies.

A touch of sickness reminds me of the preciousness of life, and tonight it's especially reminding me of the preciousness of chosen-with-love, picked-by-children's-hands blossoms that are beautifying my springtime kitchen table.  There's nothing more lovely than love!  :)