I'm not sure if I have a "theology" about this or not. In fact, Rob and I discussed it briefly the other night in reference to the pigeon that joined the kickoff team for the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks ago. One of the players claimed that the pigeon was the spirit of a former teammate who had died during the offseason.
I'm not willing to go so far as to claim that such sightings are the spirit of someone, but I sure as heck have been comforted by animals from time to time, that represent in one way or another someone to me who used to be with us. So what do I believe? Who knows and who really cares? The point is, it happens and we are comforted.
This morning, Austin and I were working on his homework in the living room. I looked up just in time to see the brightest red cardinal land on a tree branch outside the window. I have always associated redbirds with my mom. Whether she liked them as much as I remember her liking them is probably irrelevant... it's just part of her in my memory. Anyway, this redbird shows up outside and I immediately think of Mother. I point it out to Austin. "Mom, it's gorgeous!"
I smile and think how much she would have enjoyed him.
As if on cue, Austin climbs up on the couch that backs up to the window and proudly shows his newly acquired soccer medal to the cardinal. I don't know why, maybe it's just a six-year-old thing; but I promise the bird turned and looked at him. Tears well up in my eyes as he has his own make-believe conversation with the bird. He has no idea what I'm thinking...
Cool, comforting, and amazing moment.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Hello October!
The leaves are changing. The Sox are in the playoffs. Soccer and cross country are well underway. Kindergarten is fun and 8th grade is smooth sailing (so far!). And the Patriots are trying to figure things out. Welcome to October!
I posted on FaceBook that October is paradoxical. At least it is for me. There are a lot of sad anniversaries for me in this month, yet so many fun things happen during this time. The cool, crisp autumn air makes everything seem so alive, yet it is quick to remind us of the upcoming winter months that lie ahead. The Sox playoff run brings hope of another World Series, yet... well, who knows?
I'm digging in to try and publish a collection of devotionals that I've written. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do that. I've promised Austin that we'll decorate for Halloween tomorrow while Dad is at the Patriot's game. And, as always, the house needs cleaning! So we're in for a busy weekend, even though the games all got rained out for today.
Happy first weekend of October everyone!
I posted on FaceBook that October is paradoxical. At least it is for me. There are a lot of sad anniversaries for me in this month, yet so many fun things happen during this time. The cool, crisp autumn air makes everything seem so alive, yet it is quick to remind us of the upcoming winter months that lie ahead. The Sox playoff run brings hope of another World Series, yet... well, who knows?
I'm digging in to try and publish a collection of devotionals that I've written. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do that. I've promised Austin that we'll decorate for Halloween tomorrow while Dad is at the Patriot's game. And, as always, the house needs cleaning! So we're in for a busy weekend, even though the games all got rained out for today.
Happy first weekend of October everyone!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Jesus Was Right... Today Does Have Enough Troubles of Its Own ;-)
Austin begins kindergarten today.
And I'm the one who is as nervous as a cat!
The moment of truth will be when the school bus comes. I don't know if he will get on with a smile and a wave; or if he will stop, cling, and I'll have to take him to school and peel him off at the door. I'm really praying for the first option. I want a peaceful parting.
Then I can worry about all the other things...
And I'm the one who is as nervous as a cat!
The moment of truth will be when the school bus comes. I don't know if he will get on with a smile and a wave; or if he will stop, cling, and I'll have to take him to school and peel him off at the door. I'm really praying for the first option. I want a peaceful parting.
Then I can worry about all the other things...
Monday, August 17, 2009
Good News for a Change
There's just too much bad news hitting the fan all the time it seems. So today, I have to shout out the good stuff...
A friend of mine who has boys that are friends of Austin's just found out that a biopsy came back benign. Yes! Yes!! YES!!!
Gotta celebrate that.
A friend of mine who has boys that are friends of Austin's just found out that a biopsy came back benign. Yes! Yes!! YES!!!
Gotta celebrate that.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Morning Of
I am sitting in a darkened hotel room, with Austin sleeping in the bed. Rob and Robbo are in the lobby eating breakfast. It is 5:38 a.m.
In less than 3 hours, Robbo will run the 1500M race at the AAU Jr Olympics. He has been training for this for months. He has been waiting for this for over a year. His body is prepared; I hope I have done my part in preparing him emotionally.
He is only thirteen. I am forty-three. This is a big race, a national race, no matter what age you are. But I have years with me, I have perspective. He is a young teenager, every day is bigger than life. Every race defines you.
Which is why I have (I should more accurately say "we," as in his dad and I) kept telling him to "have fun," and "do your best." It's why we remind him that "all athletes have good days and bad days." It's the reason we are quick to point out the examples of great athletes coming back from poor performances.
I want him to succeed more than anyone. But I guess it's only parental nature to want to help prepare him for any falls along the way. I want him to know that he is good enough no matter what. That he doesn't have to run fast or get good grades or score a lot of points or anything like that to be someone special or to be loved. Just being himself is enough.
So go, Robbo. Go and run this morning. Run knowing that you are loved by God and by us...
In less than 3 hours, Robbo will run the 1500M race at the AAU Jr Olympics. He has been training for this for months. He has been waiting for this for over a year. His body is prepared; I hope I have done my part in preparing him emotionally.
He is only thirteen. I am forty-three. This is a big race, a national race, no matter what age you are. But I have years with me, I have perspective. He is a young teenager, every day is bigger than life. Every race defines you.
Which is why I have (I should more accurately say "we," as in his dad and I) kept telling him to "have fun," and "do your best." It's why we remind him that "all athletes have good days and bad days." It's the reason we are quick to point out the examples of great athletes coming back from poor performances.
I want him to succeed more than anyone. But I guess it's only parental nature to want to help prepare him for any falls along the way. I want him to know that he is good enough no matter what. That he doesn't have to run fast or get good grades or score a lot of points or anything like that to be someone special or to be loved. Just being himself is enough.
So go, Robbo. Go and run this morning. Run knowing that you are loved by God and by us...
Monday, August 3, 2009
Thousands of Miles
I woke up this morning to the sad news that Maggie Lee Henson is no longer with us. Maggie Lee was a 12-year-old who had been fighting for her life since being injured in the FBC Shreveport bus accident in Meridian, Mississippi, three weeks ago.
I have no personal connections to Maggie Lee. I don't know her. I don't know her parents (although we travelled similar paths at Baylor and Southwestern). But it could have just as easily be me sitting in that critical care unit - either as a patient, or as a youth minister, hoping and praying for one of my students to survive.
I can't count the number of miles I have travelled on a bus carrying kids and chaperones. Youth camps. Retreats. Choir tours. Ski trips. Mission trips. Thousands and thousands of miles.
I have no words. A lot of questions. A lot of gratitude. But no words except these:
Go headlong into the arms of Jesus, Maggie Lee... go and giggle and dance!
I have no personal connections to Maggie Lee. I don't know her. I don't know her parents (although we travelled similar paths at Baylor and Southwestern). But it could have just as easily be me sitting in that critical care unit - either as a patient, or as a youth minister, hoping and praying for one of my students to survive.
I can't count the number of miles I have travelled on a bus carrying kids and chaperones. Youth camps. Retreats. Choir tours. Ski trips. Mission trips. Thousands and thousands of miles.
I have no words. A lot of questions. A lot of gratitude. But no words except these:
Go headlong into the arms of Jesus, Maggie Lee... go and giggle and dance!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Kindle vs. Books
Rob got me an Amazon Kindle for my birthday. It should arrive tomorrow, so I am anxiously awaiting the big brown truck to pull up at the end of our driveway. I'm not sure whether or not I'll actually allow the driver to take a few steps up the hill or whether I'll meet him as he hops from his always-open door. The answer is probably as simple as whether or not we are home at the time of his arrival.
I am excited, as you can tell.
I must admit, I have always been a lover of books. Not just of reading, but of books themselves. Books are friends. They are a comforting presence, a sign of accomplishment, an open invitation, a collection of memories - both published and created. I like to hold books, touch the pages, see them on the shelves. I'm not sure how it will feel to just jump ship to an electronic version. It feels like I am committing an act of betrayal.
Yet I am loving the idea of acquiring a new read in less than 60 seconds. In having a newspaper waiting for me each morning. Of not weighting down my backpack on a trip with multiple books (rather with 10.6 oz.!). Of being able to pull out my Kindle and read without a thought of "now which page was I on?" There are a lot of things that I am looking forward to with my new gadget.
My bookshelves might start growing lighter as time passes. But there are some "friends" that will always come to live on them in hard copy no matter what...
Even if I do happen to read them on Kindle first!
I am excited, as you can tell.
I must admit, I have always been a lover of books. Not just of reading, but of books themselves. Books are friends. They are a comforting presence, a sign of accomplishment, an open invitation, a collection of memories - both published and created. I like to hold books, touch the pages, see them on the shelves. I'm not sure how it will feel to just jump ship to an electronic version. It feels like I am committing an act of betrayal.
Yet I am loving the idea of acquiring a new read in less than 60 seconds. In having a newspaper waiting for me each morning. Of not weighting down my backpack on a trip with multiple books (rather with 10.6 oz.!). Of being able to pull out my Kindle and read without a thought of "now which page was I on?" There are a lot of things that I am looking forward to with my new gadget.
My bookshelves might start growing lighter as time passes. But there are some "friends" that will always come to live on them in hard copy no matter what...
Even if I do happen to read them on Kindle first!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The First Day of My Forty-Fourth Year
Yeah, yeah... "today is the first day of the rest of your life." That's true every day for every one of us. But today, on my 43rd birthday, I want to intentionally make some choices about how I will spend my 44th year.
I feel like my life is becoming somewhat my own again. Not completely, because, well, it just isn't. When you are a mom and a wife, you are not your own. ;-) But Austin will start kindergarten in a month, which means I will have about two-and-a-half hours a day to spend of my own choosing. I want to use that time to write, hone my coaching skills, read, be creative, and catch up on movies and music that have piled up during the last five years of diapers, playdates, track meets, and tournaments.
Don't get me wrong, my fourty-fourth year will be just as fast-paced, if not more so. I'm just trying to be more intentional with how I spend my "My" time. And posting it here is one way to make myself accountable.
Day One: Off to work on the book...
I feel like my life is becoming somewhat my own again. Not completely, because, well, it just isn't. When you are a mom and a wife, you are not your own. ;-) But Austin will start kindergarten in a month, which means I will have about two-and-a-half hours a day to spend of my own choosing. I want to use that time to write, hone my coaching skills, read, be creative, and catch up on movies and music that have piled up during the last five years of diapers, playdates, track meets, and tournaments.
Don't get me wrong, my fourty-fourth year will be just as fast-paced, if not more so. I'm just trying to be more intentional with how I spend my "My" time. And posting it here is one way to make myself accountable.
Day One: Off to work on the book...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Judson Louis Hale, Sr. (1937 - 2009)
For Mr. Hale -- Things I Remember
It's been three decades and more
Since I played daily in your yard
And often ate at your table
With you and Ms. Ann
And Judson, David, and Missy
As I've strolled down memory lane
I've realized how fortunate I was to know you
To have best friends that called you "Dad"
Which meant I got to be one of the kids in your village
I guess that's the luck of geography
There were the countless evenings at Babb Park
Cheering on whichever team Bucky and Diggy
Were playing on at the time
And rides in the El Camino up the hill to Dairy Queen
To celebrate someone's home run
Or just because someone asked if we could go and you said "yes"
I remember you being lots of fun
But also knowing you meant business, too
You commanded respect and taught obedience
Which is probably why we scrambled and sweated all afternoon one day
Cleaning up a powder-filled storage room, after setting off the fire extinguisher
Desperate praying for the delay of your arrival home
Time can do funny things to our memories
Things that we remember to be larger than life
Somehow seem smaller as adults
However, there is one thing that I remember about you
That time will never change
It was the twinkle in your eye when you talked about your kids.
I remember being 9, 10, 11 years old and watching your eyes light up
Whenever you said anything about them.
I knew you loved them.
But I could sense that you liked them too.
How cool was that?!?
It was all about the twinkle
I can still see it when I close my eyes
And it reminds me that not only does my Heavenly Father love me
But he likes me, too
I was blessed to have you play such an important role
During my growing up years.
And for you and your family, I will always be thankful.
It's been three decades and more
Since I played daily in your yard
And often ate at your table
With you and Ms. Ann
And Judson, David, and Missy
As I've strolled down memory lane
I've realized how fortunate I was to know you
To have best friends that called you "Dad"
Which meant I got to be one of the kids in your village
I guess that's the luck of geography
There were the countless evenings at Babb Park
Cheering on whichever team Bucky and Diggy
Were playing on at the time
And rides in the El Camino up the hill to Dairy Queen
To celebrate someone's home run
Or just because someone asked if we could go and you said "yes"
I remember you being lots of fun
But also knowing you meant business, too
You commanded respect and taught obedience
Which is probably why we scrambled and sweated all afternoon one day
Cleaning up a powder-filled storage room, after setting off the fire extinguisher
Desperate praying for the delay of your arrival home
Time can do funny things to our memories
Things that we remember to be larger than life
Somehow seem smaller as adults
However, there is one thing that I remember about you
That time will never change
It was the twinkle in your eye when you talked about your kids.
I remember being 9, 10, 11 years old and watching your eyes light up
Whenever you said anything about them.
I knew you loved them.
But I could sense that you liked them too.
How cool was that?!?
It was all about the twinkle
I can still see it when I close my eyes
And it reminds me that not only does my Heavenly Father love me
But he likes me, too
I was blessed to have you play such an important role
During my growing up years.
And for you and your family, I will always be thankful.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Between Christmas and New Year's for the last four years, we have flown south (for the winter!) to see my dad and Nancy. My sister and her family have driven down from St. Louis around the same time, so we have all gotten to spend some time together at least once a year. It's been a great gift!
Well, this year Rob and I took the boys to Sci-Port to see the model train display. As we were leaving, I realized that Jeff Luce's business was only three or four blocks away (or at least it was the last time I went there - which had only been nine or ten years ago!). On a whim, I had Rob drive by the "last known address" and I hopped out and walked in. A few minutes later, a very suprised Luce greeted me with a hug and came out to meet my family!
This is a very long way of getting to my point, but I liked the story.
Anyway, Jeff suggested I join Facebook. Enjoying the high of reconnecting with a friend from years-gone-by, I solicited a tutorial from my high-tech nephew when we got back to Dad's house... and wah-lah! I became a FB junkie.
You got it. Hello. My name is Christy and I am a FB-a-holic.
Ok, not for real, because I just don't have the time. I have too many irons in the fire. Irons with names like Austin, Robbo, Rob, travel basketball, AAU basketball, housekeeping, laundry, cooking, writing, reading, taxi service, playdate coordinator, etc. But believe me, with a little more time on my hands, I would LIVE on FB!
I love the connections I have made and am still making. I only wish for more time. I am not doing justice to the re-connections I have made. There is so much to say, so much to write, so much to do.
So for now, I will be content with the knowledge of how to get in touch with people only six weeks ago I had no clue how to find. And slowly, one by one, I hope to let them know what they mean to me.
Now... off to Facebook! ;-)
Well, this year Rob and I took the boys to Sci-Port to see the model train display. As we were leaving, I realized that Jeff Luce's business was only three or four blocks away (or at least it was the last time I went there - which had only been nine or ten years ago!). On a whim, I had Rob drive by the "last known address" and I hopped out and walked in. A few minutes later, a very suprised Luce greeted me with a hug and came out to meet my family!
This is a very long way of getting to my point, but I liked the story.
Anyway, Jeff suggested I join Facebook. Enjoying the high of reconnecting with a friend from years-gone-by, I solicited a tutorial from my high-tech nephew when we got back to Dad's house... and wah-lah! I became a FB junkie.
You got it. Hello. My name is Christy and I am a FB-a-holic.
Ok, not for real, because I just don't have the time. I have too many irons in the fire. Irons with names like Austin, Robbo, Rob, travel basketball, AAU basketball, housekeeping, laundry, cooking, writing, reading, taxi service, playdate coordinator, etc. But believe me, with a little more time on my hands, I would LIVE on FB!
I love the connections I have made and am still making. I only wish for more time. I am not doing justice to the re-connections I have made. There is so much to say, so much to write, so much to do.
So for now, I will be content with the knowledge of how to get in touch with people only six weeks ago I had no clue how to find. And slowly, one by one, I hope to let them know what they mean to me.
Now... off to Facebook! ;-)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Time Flies Into 2009
Whoa. Where does the time go?
Let's see. Last time I was here, we were hanging out in a motel room in Chantilly, VA, waiting to head into DC for a family day of touring the rainy Capital city. Well, I didn't bring the memory card adapter, so hence, no posting of pictures that day. But the day after... Robbo and his buddies won the silver medal at the Junior Olympics!!!
We came home early Sunday morning to no power - a result of the ice storm that invaded New England. The temp inside the house was 39 degrees. The cats and turtles were cold, but alive; healthy, but definitely not happy! The power stayed out until late Monday evening, so we camped out in the family room in front of the fireplace at night. We were some of the lucky ones, however. Some Westford homes were not restored until later in the week.
Schools were closed for several days, so my precious "Christmas prep time" I was counting on while Austin was in school was severly limited to a couple of hours. Yikes. Rob was a huge help and played Elf several time so that I could get what needed to be accomplished all done.
We just returned from Louisiana last night, after taking a little detour on our way home since a storm cancelled most flights on the day we were to return. It's good to be home and I am looking forward to returning to some form of normalcy and routine soon. It really feels like I've been caught in a whirlwind for the last few weeks!
Happy New Year!!
Let's see. Last time I was here, we were hanging out in a motel room in Chantilly, VA, waiting to head into DC for a family day of touring the rainy Capital city. Well, I didn't bring the memory card adapter, so hence, no posting of pictures that day. But the day after... Robbo and his buddies won the silver medal at the Junior Olympics!!!
We came home early Sunday morning to no power - a result of the ice storm that invaded New England. The temp inside the house was 39 degrees. The cats and turtles were cold, but alive; healthy, but definitely not happy! The power stayed out until late Monday evening, so we camped out in the family room in front of the fireplace at night. We were some of the lucky ones, however. Some Westford homes were not restored until later in the week.
Schools were closed for several days, so my precious "Christmas prep time" I was counting on while Austin was in school was severly limited to a couple of hours. Yikes. Rob was a huge help and played Elf several time so that I could get what needed to be accomplished all done.
We just returned from Louisiana last night, after taking a little detour on our way home since a storm cancelled most flights on the day we were to return. It's good to be home and I am looking forward to returning to some form of normalcy and routine soon. It really feels like I've been caught in a whirlwind for the last few weeks!
Happy New Year!!
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