The news certainly changed my perspective on life today....I realized that even though I may have difficulties, that at times things may not go as planned, that I face what seems like insurmountable obstacles, that in comparison to today's tragedy....that my trials are small. I realized that time with our children is short at best....even when you raise them to adulthood, when you look back, you find yourself asking where the time has gone. As I was picking up for what seemed like the 100th time today, I thought this phase of life will be gone all too fast and that one day I would wish for crumbs left behind by my aspiring chef.....a sign that she has been here, full of life. Childhood passes in the blink of an eye it seems. I had school planned for today for both children, but the news of that situation made me realize that today I needed to just BE with my children. So we spent the afternoon baking cupcakes and cookies, making messes with the icing as we tried to decorate them. ABC's and 123's can wait another day, algebra and history will keep...so today we made memories instead of equations, we laughed and giggled instead of working on our short vowel sounds.....It's important that we have these moments to look back on.
I know all too well how important those moments are. On Christmas Eve it will be one year since I saw my Dad alive....looking back over this last year, the memories of him are not all the material things that I had growing up, but the things I remember are the times when we would be at the house, times around the piano singing, times at church together. I remember one winter it was snowing and we had a horse. Daddy had built a sled for some reason. It was a Saturday, because Momma was in the kitchen making a cake for tomorrow's Sunday dinner. Daddy hooked the horse up to that sled and he took me for a ride out through the hills where we lived. The snow was those big flakes that just glide silently to the ground. The picture of those flakes falling against the backdrop of the cedar trees, my Dad sitting by me guiding the horse, talking to me about the beauty of nature and how this must be just like what it was like in times long ago before cars were made, he told me how God made each of the seasons, that He made each one of those snowflakes, and that God was big but he said God knows all about me too. He kept telling me we needed to head back to the house, but I kept begging him to keep riding..... I would give anything to have another snowy afternoon with him.Today let's make an effort to make a every moment count. It's ok to let things go just for a minute and let your children know how important they are to you, to make memories that will carry not only them, but you as well, for a lifetime.
I usually end with telling you to make another step on the journey, but today let's pause just for a minute on our journey and say a prayer not only for God to hold close each Mommy and Daddy whose little angel won't be coming home today, but let's also pray for the community to come together and help each other and the children that were left but whose innocence was shattered forever......
Regina
