Daily Reminders

The day after Thanksgiving. The day after all the food, all the Family, all the craziness. Yesterday, we were reminded to be Thankful, but I needed no reminder. I am grateful everyday for this really incredible journey of being your mother.

When Dad and I arrived home last Sunday from a trip to Mexico with friends, I climbed in bed with each of you and just allowed myself to be. Each of you curled your little (yet not so little anymore) bodies up against me, and I knew I was in the exact place I was supposed to be-home with all of my people.

Jax-your feet are officially bigger than mine. How did this happen? It seems only yesterday I was looking at you for the first time, staring in wonderment at all that dark hair and olive skin. Little did we know we’d get dimples, too. Lately, your friends have been coming over to our house everyday (and I mean literally everyday) after school. I like being the home where you and your friends congregate. I hope this will mean I will always know your friends, and that they will be comfortable in our home. You are loud boys and you all eat all my food. And I love it!

Cole. The little brother. You are so excited about so many things about the upcoming Holiday season. Santa. The Elf. Wrapping presents. Snow. Christmas Music. I would love to bottle your enthusiasm, because I just know someday I’m going to want it back.

As we were getting out the Christmas trees and ornaments this week, Jackson was being very helpful and bringing up my tubs of ornaments from the storage room. One of the tubs was placed on the dining room table, and when I came downstairs to start trimming the tree, I noticed a long, fairly deep scratch in the top of the dining room table. After a few deep breaths, and counting to 10 in my head, and both Jax and Cole asking “Mom, what’s wrong?”, I showed them the scratch. Jax was very remorseful. A scratch in the dining room table. This can’t be fixed. And Thank Goodness for that, because in 10 years, when Jax is gone to college, or 20 years, when both boys are gone and we have an empty nest, and TJ and I are trimming the tree without the help of little hands, I will be able to look at this scratch and remember the excitement, the wonder, the little hands that were so eager to decorate the tree and do all things Christmas. Like a physical scar, it will always remind of an event, a time, a place. I am so grateful this memory will be attached to what is otherwise just an inanimate object.

The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful: it is gratitude that makes us joyful. -David Steindl-Rast

Dinner time.

 Family dinners are a favorite of mine. Everyone around the dinner table, laughing, talking, telling stories. Growing up, we sat at the dinner table to eat as often as possible, and this made a lasting impression. I have tried to make this a priority in our home, as well. I hope that Jax and Cole remember sitting around the dinner table talking about our days and all the various things that are going on in our lives. Fantastic and mundane. Surface and gritty.

Last night, at the dinner table, both of the boys were so very animated. Jax was telling us a story about The Great Pumpkin (a decorative pumpkin his music teacher has), and Cole was explaining to us that his art box has completely disappeared from his desk. Without a trace. Huh. We also talked about Halloween and broken garage doors and hunting and spelling words.

We even had a teaching moment. TJ had the opportunity to provide assistance to a woman in need yesterday while out shopping. The young mother in front of him in line at the store was trying to pay for formula for her very young baby and did not have sufficient funds. She was nearly in tears, and TJ was able to step in and pay. The young mother was very grateful, and we all learned a lesson about how we can consistently find ways to help others, even when we are not looking.
Every morning, when the boys walk out the door, my directive to them is: Be Kind, Be Brave, Have Fun, and Help Someone.

I truly believe some of the most important conversations we will have as a family will occur at our dinner table. Our happiest moments, our heartbreaking moments, and everything in between.