written in the summer of 2012
You know what I love the most about my children is exactly what often requires the most patience from me as a mom.
Let me explain.
Last night, our large glass patio table shattered. The kids were playing cards, tried to remove the umbrella, and it shattered. Everywhere. Thankfully, no one was hurt. As I was driving home from the grocery store, grumbling about losing that table a bit, my mother quickly reminded me to be grateful that not one of the kids got more than a minor scratch. I tried to remember as I walked out back and saw the deck, and under the deck, and the grass littered with tempered tiny bits of glass.
Two hours later, after painstakingly picking up glass and getting covered in dirt and mosquito bites I still tried to remember. Be grateful, Rachel, be grateful. That’s what I kept telling myself. As I drove to Target (which normally would be awesome) to buy a new broom (since our old one was covered in glass dust) I tried to shake off my mood and adopt gratitude.
It was hard. You know, I had just slipped into that grumbly grumpy place.
Then this phone call.
Elijah was running and dove for a ball in his room and hit his head on the corner of the bed hard.
I didn’t care about that stupid without glass table anymore.
I came home, saw my Elijah with the very large goose egg on his head, and my priorities snapped back. After a call to the doctor on call who told me what to watch for and that he should be fine I tried to rest. I didn’t think of that table, or that glass, or all that stuff anymore. I just sat there, holding Elijah’s hand as he drifted to sleep and thought of how much I loved that boy.
I love him.
And what I love most about him is exactly the thing that takes so much out of me as a parent – it’s this irrepressible energy and drive and spunk (which makes one dive for a ball in a bedroom) and all of that is what makes him, well, him. I didn’t want anything to happen to it. Even though he requires so much energy, and patience, and wisdom he gives me exponentially more in return. Hugs in the morning, cuddles, I love you’s, laughs, and ultimately joy.
Why is it that it is so easy to forget the good until the good seems threatened to leave?
I just want to live not caring about a table that broke and live being more grateful for all the good that I have. The table? Replaceable. Those kids? Not. Elijah? Not.
Today, this Saturday morning, I am grateful.
Grateful for the good, the little things, the people in my life who make life full of joy.
I know it’s cliche, but count your blessings.
That’s what I’m doing today.
~Rachel
12 comments
My oldest son has some severe neuro chemical special needs. He has such high energy, enthusiasm, excitement for life..the I love you’s..the gifted IQ..the advanced vocabulary that rivals my own..voracious learner…those same chemicals that make him “him” also make him rage and yell and still refuse to use the toilet at almost 7 yrs of age….they make him refuse to sleep in his room giving his Daddy and I very little “private time”(at least in our room..lol)…it is hard to balance it all…..I want to make him all better..it is so hard to have patience when he also at 4 yrs old ran away and took his 2 yr old sister…being brought back by police….(this was at 6am and he pushed chairs up to unlock doors)..now chairs locked up..his room locked….sister room locked..baby etc….all of this takes immense amount of energy….once he was on a med and it took all that good stuff away with only some of the bad…….Patience is what I pray for every minute of every day:)pray for me also
Liz
Amen, lady. This was beautiful, and I wholeheartedly agree.
xo,
Jessica @ Diary of a Beautiful Soul
What a wonderful post! I, like you, don’t know why it’s so easy to concentrate on the bad things and totally forget to count our blessings. Thanks for the reminder.
What a sweet entry, straight from your heart. Blessings for this day!
One of my grand sons (actually the one who reminds me of Samuel) was running around the house tonight (his Daddy’s birthday party was at our house with 5/6 of the grands 4/6 of whom were doing laps around the front room, hall, kitchen, dining room…). Anyway, Aaron didn’t make the turn well enough and ran into the wall. Instant goose egg, but was so thankful he didn’t split his head open! An aunt and uncle of his did the same thing and both ended up having to have stitches! So it’s all good!
Know that you’re in my thoughts and prayers!
Psalms 17:6-7 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
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You are so right. Well said. God is good to show us these things in His gentle way. Good for you for putting it together (Sometimes I can miss the obvious ones! ;))
Aloha,
I totally agree with what you have said. People are more important than things! Thanks for bringing this to my mind! Intentional gratitude is important i guess!
That is beautiful. It really is true, we forget what we have until it threatens to be gone. It is a good reminder to be grateful for the moment, for the people we have in our lives. At the end of the day, it isn’t the things that we miss, it is the love of those around us and their love in return. What a great post.
really precious post and a great reminder! we must cherish each moment!
So, so true.
Getting back to the table though–when that happened to us, we used a shop vac to thoroughly vacuum the grass and dirt where the pieces fell. It just made us feel so much better about letting the kids go barefoot in that place again. Just an idea if you hadn’t thought of it. What a mess–I know it’s not a big deal in the scheme of things, like your post said, but it still is quite a disaster to clean up!!
I’m glad that all your kids are okay…and you’re right, healthy kids are more important than a glass table!!! Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 😉 🙂 🙂
Still here! Still praying!
Psalms 36:5-7 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
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