From sickness to snow and ice storms, life has been so very disrupted. We missed out on some fun things that we would have been doing, and my posts have been delayed, but the slow-down was so very, very needed.
Everything being cancelled forced us to spend time together, (*gasp*), making some great memories and it allowed us to fully recover from the illness that took us all out of commission.
As we began January, with the pressing need to get our home ready to list for sale by the 30th, we could not afford to "waste" any time. There is so much work to do, not a lot of time and only one of me. I was feeling so stressed and being on the downward slope of the excitement of the holidays, I was feeling drained.
When it came to our commitments, I felt like I had nothing, zero, to offer. I had hope and joy in the promises of the Lord and even some growing excitement to see what He was going to do with our circumstances, but I was tired.
So, so tired.
All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and rest. For days.
- Be careful what you wish for. -
Because that is exactly what I got. The kids and of course the mommy, caught what I can only describe as the "cold from hell". The aches alone were enough to make me feel like crying, and then there was the fever, the sinus pressure that was threatening to make my skull explode, likely all over my beautiful bedding making a terrible mess to have to clean up, and the fever. My skin felt like it was on fire, my muscles felt like I had been pummeled by a heavyweight boxer and my head was throbbing from the building pressure from within.
It was all I could do to take care of my sick babies and stand feebly in the hot shower in an attempt to comfort myself. Forget packing, sorting, cleaning, painting, and repairs.
Thankfully we still had a couple days before everything started up again. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get through the "obligations" of the coming week and something incredible happened...
* It snowed! *
You have NO idea how happy I was to see the beautiful, fluffy, white, sparkling blanket begin to cover the ground! I love snow anyway, but I have never loved it more!
Between snow and ice storms, the world around us stopped. Schools and business were closing. Families were spending time at home. Children were outside playing in the streets. The world was quiet and peaceful amidst the echos of laughter that filled the air.
We had all just started feeling quite better when the snow came. The kids and I were able to spend afternoon after afternoon sledding on the hill by the soccer fields with friends and family. We even got to have an hour one afternoon to go sledding with their dad. (Who, poor man, had to work through the entirety of our grand adventure.)
There was excitement, laughter, squeals of joy, hot cocoa, hot cider and cookies to share. Everyone who brought a sled shared it with anyone who didn't have one. Kids and adults took turns trying out all the sleds and even shared the "favorite", reveling in the playful competition of "who could sled the farthest".
For a couple days all of the chaos, all of the busyness, all of the demands and obligations simply ceased to exist and our children got to experience the freedom of celebrating winter with the community around them.
For a few days, the adults got to make precious new memories with their children, reminisce about the joy of snow days from their youth and even become a kid again themselves. Even if it was just for a short time, it was wonderful!
It is hard to go back to the "grind" after so much unbridled joy. Times like these beg us to stay happily engaged in the dream of what life "could" be like if only things were less... complicated.
All things must come to an end and it is often sad when they do, but we have been given a beautiful gift to hold onto in the days and years to come, when life is flying by at it's greedily demanding pace. We will have these beautiful memories to remind us of what is truly important.
Reminders to slow down.
Invest in the people around us.
Laugh a little. Live a little. Love a little.
Be blessed, y'all.
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