I've already set my list of resolutions. 13 of them for 2013. But a little something I read this morning, by Matthew Kelly, got me thinking and I may just have to revise my list. 13 resolutions, plus one to grow on! Here is what I read:
"Less than two years ago, my father died after a long-drawn-out battle with the tyrant we call cancer. My father was an extraordinary man. Not that he invented something that changed the course of human history; no, he was extraordinary in the very ordinary things of life. As a husband and a father, as an employee and a friend, as a member of his local community and as a citizen of his nation. The world is richer, and a better place, because he lived.
Every day I think about him. I ponder what he would do if he were faced with decisions and situations I am faced with. There are times when I wish I could meet him for lunch and just talk. Sometimes when I am feeling sorry for myself, I become sad because he will never meet the woman I marry or know my children. They will never know him. There is so much of my life yet to be lived that I will not be able to share with him.
There is a memory that refuses to leave me. With my brothers I am carrying his coffin from the church after his funeral. One thought etched itself in my mind at that moment. I thought to myself, I wish I had known him better.
There are just so many things that I wish I could talk to him about one more time, and I can see us both sitting in front of the TV...
I had a wonderful father and a wonderful relationship with him. He made it a priority to make memories with me, and I treasure those now that he is gone. But he is gone, and I wish I knew more about his childhood, more about his parents, more about how he found his way when he was young. I wish I knew how he felt about things we never thought to discuss. I often wonder whether he held some knowledge that would help me further understand my path and the life I am being called to live.
All of this is just a young man who misses his father. But his dying has taught me one last lesson: take the time to get to know the people you love, deeply, for one day they will no longer be there, and when that day comes we will all wish we had known them better."
How well do you really know your father or your mother? Your brother or sister? How about your spouse and your children? Is it possible to truly love and care for these people and to truly want the best for them if you don't even care enough to get to know more about who they really are? on a deeper level? How much of your time together is spent "sitting in front of the TV", and what is that worth in the long run? If that person were gone tomorrow, what would you regret? What would you wish you could know about them that you hadn't thought to ask before? What are the things you would miss most about them? What would you regret not doing together? I'm going to be thinking about that, and this year I will resolve to start asking...and listening...and learning...and doing...more.
I have been re-reading "The Secret" lately. Today, I think the kids and I attracted this little yellow bird. My father-in-law would be so proud...haha! We didn't attract it on purpose, but earlier this week while we were out on a morning trail walk behind our house, we stopped to observe and admire these cute little yellow birds...about a dozen or two of them, all around us, pecking around the bushes for a morning snack. The little birds were so cute, so it stuck out in my mind.
So guess what?
When Adam came home from work today, he announced that he had a surprise for the kids. He walked in holding a jar with one of the very same little yellow birds! He had found it injured and unable to fly while he was leaving work, so he collected it into the jar with bird food and some water and brought it home. The kids had fun trying to name it. One of its eyes is damaged, so Adam wanted to name it Willie...after One-Eyed Willie. Zach wanted to name it Luigi, and Katelyn wanted to name it Krysta, after the fairy from "Fern Gully". I'm not sure what they finally decided on, but I think it might have been Sharkey. I just hope Sharkey is not carrying any diseases!! He/She is so adorable. The kids are absolutely in love. Katelyn put the jar in her bedroom and sang it beautiful bird lullabies for about a half hour tonight because she thought she could help it fall asleep and relax.
Who knew my husband was such a bird whisperer? He says the bird is called a Golden Finch.
So there you have it folks. The law of attraction in action, and tonight my kids have a Golden Finch in a jar in their bedroom to prove it!!
I love love LOVE these girls and the nights we have been able to share together. It was probably two or three years ago that I first started coming to these girl's nights at Sara's (far left). When we first started, I think I hardly knew most of these girls, but somehow I was invited...probably by Crysta (green shirt) who is always coordinating fun stuff! We mostly laugh and sometimes cry. We almost always eat. I couldn't have imagined how much would have changed in everyone's lives since then, or the many changes soon to come. I imagine this was probably our last girl's night at Sara's (at least in California), but with these girls no matter the time and distance, I'm sure we will have no trouble picking it up where we left off. I wish all my love and all the best to these ladies. I'm excited to see where life takes them all. I am so grateful that they are my friends!! Thank you ladies! <3
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
We are creatures of habit (at least on the 4th of July). We wake up early to do a Fun Run, we attend a flag raising ceremony, then go eat pancakes or french toast. If we can, we take a swim and have a BBQ, but every year (without fail) we go to the same park with the same people and watch the same fireworks year after year. I love it!!! The kids run around and act crazy until the sun goes down. And this year, thanks to Red Vines and gummy worms, they ran around 4x as fast and 4x as crazy (if my calculations are correct). The fireworks were wonderful as ever, and the finale was over the top. It was like that wolf scene in Twilight that caused seizures in the audience, so I closed my eyes a little. These are a few of the pictures of the kids acting like goof-balls, so happy to be together with cousins and such. And can I just say it was next to impossible to get a shot of Littleman standing still!!
