You be the Judge.

There's a new show on television called "The Marriage Ref."  We might need to give him a call.  This morning my husband announced that he was down to his last pair of underwear.  It's now nearly 3:00 pm, my afternoon and evening are fully scheduled, and I've done nothing to remedy the situation. 

Oops.

Here's the deal.  I want to send my husband out into the world clean and in good working condition each morning.  And, yes, I am familiar with the, "What if you get in an accident" line of thinking.  Still, I've had a busy day preparing for tonight's writer's workshop.  I've been writing, brainstorming, dreaming, planning and thinking.  Laundry just doesn't fit into the theme of the day.  Frankly, I'm not feelin' it.  In an attempt to not sound lazy, I must say that being in a creative zone is when I am my most meditative.  It's when I best work things through and find the most clarity.

So here's the question marriage refs... is it ok to put off menial tasks (laundry) to do more meaningful work (writing)?  How have you spent your day?  Are you busy with the menial or the meaningful?  Jesus addresses this conundrum in the story of the two sisters, Martha and Mary.  In our task driven world he gives us the ok to take a step away from our daily "to do's" and spend time with him.  Perhaps it's ok to step back and take some time for ourselves, too.  So tell me ladies, creative thinking or clean underwear?  You be the judge.

Where are you going, my little one, little one?

As a little girl I would sit at my great grandma's piano with my aunt Deanne. She would plunk out one of the few songs she knew and I would sing along.  Where are you going, my little one, little one?  Was my favorite.  As a grown woman it has been the lullaby of choice for my four children.

Where are you going my little one, little one?
Where are you going my baby my own?
Turn around and you're two, turn around and you're four
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around and you're one, turn around and you're grown.
Turn around and you're a young mom with babes of your own.

lately in my life, the gentle "turn around, turn around" of our favorite lullaby feels more like the whirl of time spinning way too fast.  And it's not just me.  We're all feeling it.  Last week, our third grader, went away to school camp for five days.  She had never even had a sleepover before!  We really debated whether or not it was a good idea for her to go.  Was it too long?  Was she ready?  Was it wise in a world that doesn't always seem like a safe place for children?   Would she miss us as much as we would surely miss her?  In the end, she went, had a great time and came home proud and confident.  Maybe I really am mature enough to handle my children growing up.  Who knew?

Aside from the trauma of her going to camp, our son started preschool.  He goes every morning from 8:30 - 11:30.  The boy who needed to be dragged from bed in a state of a.m. crabbiness now bounds up, ready to strap on his cowboy back pack and head to school.

Our first-grader got her first major haircust last night.  Eleven inches of beautiful blonde hair is headed to the Locks of Love.  Her new cropped cut is very smart and cute... and grown up.  No more pigtails for her. 

Tomorrow, the baby will be one.  We'll celebrate her important milestone with cake and the usual fanfare.  It's been the most beautiful year.  There is something so wonderful about having everyone here.  She is the grand finale after years of adding another.  The baby years are behind us.  I was good at the baby phase.  I was in my element in the insular and safe world I created for our family.  Now, first birthdays, first trips to camp, first haircuts and first days of school are steps into unchartered territory.  It's time to explore life outside the nest.

I found our six-year old in tears the other day because she will be seven in four months and she's not sure she's ready.  I assured her she's ready for anything.  It's me I'm worried about.  Sometimes life is so good you just want to push pause - to stop and take it all in.

I love the life I have been blessed with as a wife and mother.  Nurturing my family and creating a place of calm for us has been my greatest joy.  I can only imagine what lies ahead will be equally beautiful and precious.  I pray that they might take what they have learned about kindness, patience, faithfulness, selflessness, love and joy and spread it all around the world.  I've never really travelled but when they set out to make their mark on this place, they will take a piece of me with them.  Instilling in them the confidence to go and do anything is, for this mother, the ride of a lifetime.

Still, all these changes and firsts make me realize that the words of the lullaby I've been singing since I was a child are true. Life happens in a turn.  Are you a mother or are you mothering someone in your life?  Do you realize, in the everyday moments, what a beautiful gift that is?  Let's make a collective agreement to appreciate all that means for us and the little ones God has placed in our care. Let's turn off the TV, close the computer, forget about the to do list and spend our days in the haze of their happy childhood.

My little ones are growing up. I can't wait to see what the future holds for four young children who have been the answer to prayers I didn't even know to pray. It makes me think of a quote I love from a young Japanese girl who said, "I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world."  To that, I say, "Soar!"