I worked on this post for an hour today. I have to admit I'm a bit proud of myself. I learned how to upload the photo from my cell phone without email services on my phone. This is a whole new world for me (sending photos to websites and then to my blog!)
But, where there is a will there is a way and my will is strong and I'm determined to find which way it leads. I hope you will celebrate the fuzzy photo below with me. I'm completely and totally in love with ordinary-turned-extraordinary glimpses of time spent with my kids.
I will back up and tell you the story.
Last night we were leaving the YMCA a bit later than planned to go home, eat, get ready for bed.
Driving by the memorial site that Lino Lakes dedicated to Shawn a couple years ago, I pointed out the sculpture to my kids and said, "Look what the city put up for your dad!"
Jordan didn't hesitate, "Can we stop and get out and think about him?"
How does a mom answer that? I knew by stopping bedtime would be pushed back even further. I knew by stopping we'd have to skip bath time. I knew by stopping supper would be rushed. I knew by stopping I'd have to re-help my kids back into car seats and seat belts (a process alone that can exhaust me more than anything else listed above.)
Somewhere deeper though I knew if I didn't stop I would pass up a greater exchange. Somehow I knew there are things in life more important than bedtimes and bath times and the energy of getting in and out of a car with two little ones.
And because I said yes to the moment in front of me, I walked into a precious time with my kids that I can't replace. They climbed and played and smiled and hugged me. We traced the words engraved on the stones with our fingers, "Don't wait for tomorrow…Be Here Now." They kissed a small rock and threw it into the crevice of the large boulder that was purposely divided to symbolize the loss of their dad's life.
I remember the day the memorial was dedicated, the artist said, "The stone that is split reminds us of the loss, but it also shows the beauty."
Look at them. Aren't they beautiful? I got to see beauty last night because I answered the inconvenient request of my
son to stop and think. And in turn I was blessed with an opportune
splash of time that was worth all forty-five minutes on the phone with tech support to figure out how to upload this photo, worth the sluggish morning we had from getting to bed too late and still as I write this entry fills me.
