Time Brings Confidence

Time seems to exponentially speed up once you have a child. And by the time child number 4 comes along it seems like you set them down to crawl around, go put in a load of laundry and get dinner started, and you turn around and they're starting middle school.



I am grateful I am where I am, though. College was great fun, but I'd never want to do it again. My 20s brought me marriage and motherhood, and while I certainly think fondly of my first year of being a mom, I am more than content to be right as I am.



I have learned confidence. I have practiced perseverance. I have discovered abilities. I have grown as a wife and mother.



It's that whole sapling allegory, you know? The one who is subjected to the storms learns to bend, change, and become stronger. My mind is stronger, my passion is brighter, and my love and ability to love is larger.



I'm thinking that while time is speeding up, it's worth it when each decade gets correspondingly better.

Hot Cars and Wise Women

Did I mention I love summer? I’m working on a post to tell you all about what we’re doing this summer but in case I never finish it, you should know that I love summer with all my soul. I love the early morning sunshine, the birds, the warm breeze. I love the kids sleeping in, living in our swimsuits, the constant fort making and making 100 varieties of popsicles. Every summer I institute big academic plans which I always fail at and cause much anxiety and stress. This year, there are no plans and I am liking it. We are going with the flow. Math facts and spelling practice is taking a back seat for a few weeks while I chill with the kids on the back porch playing I Spy and Clue. While it certainly isn't all magical, I do love having them around and I feel very fortunate to be home with them. 

This evening while I was sweeping water out of the garage (which Clark watered), I watched my neighbor drive down the street in this car.Another neighbor was in the car with her and they were picking up the woman who lives across the street from us. It appeared that my neighbors were all going out to dinner together. These three women are in their 70s and have been living on this street together for about 40 years. They raised 10 kids between the three of them and as one struggled as a single parent, and another cared for her dying husband, these women stuck together. As I watched them pull out of the driveway and head toward town, I first of all wanted them to pick me up, but secondly, was struck by the bond that they must share. I LOVE each of these women. All of them have made a life for themselves that is worth admiring. You can tell that they find joy out of life and take pride what they are doing today, not a decade ago. Truly, the three of them could write a book about their lives. All three so different because they were dealt different circumstances, but all three equally interesting and wise. So again, I tried to imagine my life in 40 years as I was sweeping out my bike cluttered garage. Will I remember this phase? Or more importantly, what will the young woman across the street think of me. Will I be an inspiration, or a let-down?