I thought I heard my granddaughter stirring in her crib as I brushed my teeth in the guest bath across from her room. I stood outside her door, holding my breath to listen, as I’ve done hundreds of times before with my own children. I waited for the sound of her rhythmic breathing before heading …
Here! Here!
My grands are on the move! The three month old is close to rolling over but that doesn’t stop her from being mobile. She turns herself in complete circles by kicking her legs and last week she opened the DVD player with her feet. The thirteen month old is walking more confidently and becoming more …
In His Steps
My grandson, Thomas, is just beginning to walk independently. He confidently lets go and cruises the room or the yard until he looses his balance, encounters an obstacle, or realizes his momma or daddy are too far away. He plunks down on his bottom and crawls until he reaches a familiar pair of legs. He …
Magnify
My youngest strode across the blacktop, chest puffed out, looking like he was about to pop. Before he was even in the car, in a rush of words he explained how he was the only one who already knew how to use the microscopes and how the professor had asked him to help everyone else …
No Fear of Missing Out
The kids are in bed. My husband snores contentedly by my side. The laundry and dishes are all caught up. I’ve brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, only I’m unable to close my eyes for more than a minute. I must be forgetting something. It’s simply too quiet. Everything seems to be in order …
You Owe Me
It gives me pleasure to serve and give to my children and grandchildren. The simple joy I receive is payment enough, but I receive their gratitude and a share of their time as well. Balancing the scales or creating a sense of obligation never crosses my mind. In fact, if anything, we each seek to …
Lead By Example
I’ve been the mother in the grocery store with the screaming baby, just trying to finish and get home with a shred of dignity, or is it sanity?I’ve since seen mothers in the store with little ones who are past the point of no return and I wonder at the varied responses I see to …
Peace Be Still
I slept through Hurricane Hugo on the couch in my parents’ living room under an open window. A tree fell, missing my car by inches. The wind left our yard strewn with downed limbs and debris but I was completely unaware until morning. To this day, I love a storm. I’m grateful for shelter, of …
Small Talk
Thomas, who is turning one, has discovered whispering. It started with one of his counting books. When I noticed his attention waning by the number four, I whispered that particular rhyme and since then, each time I read or recite this book, he looks to me for the whispered lines. This week, in an attempt …
When My Fears Meet My God
I may have snoozed my alarm more than once this morning. I set it intentionally early so I can be awake before my son, Thomas. He’s an early riser most days and I am not a morning person. When I can be up with my coffee and spend a few minutes with Jesus before Thomas …
A Fitting Reply 