My Friday Roses

Every Friday at school, I have my students write a paragraph reflecting on their week. They are required to tell me the "roses" and "thorns" of their week. I love getting a little snapshot into their life every week.

So, today, I want to document some of my current roses....

* Bennett's health. Although he has some issues (tongue movement, trunk rotation, slow growth, etc.), I am well aware that it could be so much worse. With work and time, his issues will resolve. I see the St. Jude's commercials on TV and literally sob. I just can't even imagine going through something like that. Watching your child dying/suffering in front of you and not being able to do anything to heal them. When Bennett was in the hospital for a week this year, I was an anxious mess. One evening I went down to the gift shop to buy some Chapstick, and on my way back up to the room, there was a severely mental handicapped girl with her mom. And a flood of guilt (and thankfulness) washed over me. Yes, it was a trying and tiring week, but I knew that there was light at the end of our tunnel. And I suddenly thought of all those parents who have children who will struggle their WHOLE life. Perspective is an amazing gift.

* Inspiring moms. I am so thankful for the group of women in my life who support, encourage, and guide me (Sandy, Susie, Laura, Kalin, Elizabeth, Kary, Katie, Karen, Jodi, and Jen...the list goes on and on). They are each role models for the mother I hope to be. They show me what compassion and kindness look like here on Earth. I pray that later on in my journey, I will be able to encourage a struggling young mother the way that they have encouraged me.

* Flowers. Especially tulips. When I first moved into my house almost a decade ago, the previous owner had rocks everywhere. There were zero living things to be found. I spent weeks hauling load upon load of rocks out of the brick beds. And I planted all my favorite flowers: tulips, irises, hyacinth, peonies, snapdragons, hollyhocks, etc. I just love flowers. This is the last spring that I will spend on my little green house on Meadowood. And I have realized that my bed of tulips sprouting are such a metaphor for life: it took a lot of hard work, which has paid off, because they now bring so much beauty. A lot like life, right? Lots of hard work put in, but beautiful moments that make all the pain and heartache worth it.

* Childhood memories. There are so moments from my childhood of pure bliss that I frequently recall. Collecting rocks. Playing at the lake. Riding bikes for hours. Making forts. I hope and pray Bennett has the amount of carefree days in his childhood that I did. (Which is one of the many reasons we are planning on moving to the cabin).

* My car. It is full of dents and scraps (I am admittedly a horrible driver, no judgment please), but it is reliable and safe. It gets me from point A to point B with no problems. I know that wherever I want to take Bennett, my car will get me there without breaking down. It is not lost on me that most people in the world do not have that luxury.

* Food in my pantry and belly. I can afford healthy, organic, GMO free food for my family. I can also afford Lucky Charms and sugary fruit snacks for my family. What a blessing to be able to go to the grocery store and not think twice at checkout. I know I can afford the food I am buying. We have never gone hungry (unless you count the meals that I cooked that were pretty inedible). Again, it is not lost on me that most people in the world do not have that luxury.

* Laughter. There have been moments with my group of students this year that I just want to scream. Or cry. Or maybe run away. But then someone tells a joke or does something silly and we all start laughing. And it's like the "restart" button has been reset and I remember why I teach: students bring me so much joy. Eight year old kids are hilarious. The are blunt and candid and have an interesting way of looking at the world. And most of them think my jokes are pretty funny, too, which is good for the ego.

* Nick. So thankful that he goes to work every day (at a job that he isn't necessarily passionate about) in order to provide for Bennett. I never had a male role model growing up, so this is all new territory to me. I feel so secure and safe knowing that he will always make sure we are taken care of.


So very grateful for all the roses in my life.