“Mom, do you miss us or not miss us when we’re at school all day for six hours?” Jordan asked before hopping on the bus this morning.
“I do miss you,” I said wondering if I should say more. “When you get off the bus I’m always happy to see you.” I left it at that deciding we didn’t need to discuss how six hours of space during the day can also be nice.
“If you miss us so much,” Maddi said, “Why don’t you home school us?” She was beaming a proud grin.
Christmas can be a season of longing. Who are you missing this time of year? For me, it is always a time of reflection–bittersweet.
My kids are reflecting, too. Last week at breakfast, Madelynn looked up from her waffle and said, “Mom, it kinda seems like we are special.” I asked her why and she said because we share. I thought she meant toys or clothes, so when I asked her specifically what we share I wasn’t expecting the answer she gave. “We share about dad…the daddy in heaven. We share him with everyone. It kinda seems like we are special.”
“How does this make us special, Maddi?” I couldn’t help to lengthen the conversation. I wanted to know more about her definition of special. Most people losing a parent wouldn’t choose to describe their situation this way.
“Because you talk about him, mom, to people and that makes them happy and because daddy died on a special day…a really special day.”
We will always miss him. At Christmastime, during the summer, for birthdays and at random times that cannot be predicted or planned.
All I could say to Madelynn was, “You are right. We are special.”
Who are you missing this season? There is a special reason why.
