You've Got to Live A Little

I have been AWOL for a while.  Let's just say, some times you've got to LIVE a little.  Then you can blog.

Indeed, I've been engaged in doing a little living this past month or so, and much of it has been wonderful.  There have been some once-in-a-lifetime-memory-making kind of things that I would not trade for anything.  My daughter and her husband moved back to town for a while, at least until she gives birth to our first grandchild.  Seeing my daughter's lovely silhouette as she carries this new life is a perfect picture I never want to forget.  It occurs to me that she does not have a full knowledge of all that lies ahead of her as a mother, as living it is the only way to understand it.  I could tell her but it would not be the same.  She is well prepared in every way for what lies ahead, so I have no particular concerns or worries.  She has been showered with gifts at her baby shower and congratulated by friends and family.  We have heard the heartbeat, felt the baby move, and love it already.  We have even practiced pushing the new stroller around the house and pretended to remove the sleeping baby quietly from its car seat.  Yesterday I brought out all the special baby clothes from my daughter's past.  She gently handled each piece as I told her about them.  She really liked much of it, but she made a comment that genuinely surprised me.  She stated that the clothing is dated and old fashioned.  It was very interesting to hear for the first time that what I dressed my babies in 25 or so years ago is now out of date. Has it really been that long?  I had to let that soak in for a few minutes.  I now have a defining moment to mark my entry into old-fashioned-hood.  It was such a casual remark and went by unnoticed by anyone in the world except me.  It is hard to put into words what comes with the torch passing of one generation to the next and the dawning of a new one.  I wonder if I'm the only one who notices that my world will never be the same.  Neither will my daughter's.  I stop and think about it and marvel at how surreal it all feels  as the rest of the world goes about life as usual. It occurs to me that I never really noticed whether or not my mom felt such things when I was at the threshold of motherhood.  I would not have appreciated it then.  I do now. 


Speaking of my mother...she and dad turned 70 this year.  We had a little get together for them last month to celebrate.  It was great to have all of our children home for the occasion and to witness my parents as they interacted with the people who care about them.  I spent a good part of the month gathering and sorting pictures from their childhood and beyond.  What an experience to look at a person's life from beginning to the current day and see the same things I've seen in my own lifetime. As babies and children they possessed the same sweetness and innocence as my own children did when they were young.  Their teenage pictures hint at their hope for a bright future.  I loved seeing pictures of their interaction with my grandparents and great grandparents and the same love evident in those pictures as the ones I take today with my own children.  I witness from a different perspective the life they devoted to me.   They have lived life beyond my current experience.  One day I will take their place and my children will take mine.  It is fascinating to me that this pattern has been repeated over and over for thousands of years. How often do we really stop and notice and consider the wonder of it all?


So you can see where my thoughts and head have been since my last post. I've been doing a little living and soaking up as much of the good stuff as I can.  September also brought with it a few annoyances, like car problems and the central air conditioner needing to be replaced...all a little hard on the wallet.  Early October brought an unexpected surgery for my youngest son (he's just fine).  There was also some heartbreak crammed into these past few weeks as well.  The heartbreak is just a little too personal for a blog, but it's what happens when you love people.  In my view though, love is worth it.  Our hearts get stronger the more we practice.


So life is good...and there is much to look forward to.  I am reminded of an old song that captures quite well our varied experiences as we live our lives.

You've got to give a little, take a little
And let your poor heart break a little
That's the story of,
That's the glory of love

You've got to laugh a little, cry a little
Until the clouds roll by a little
That's the story of,
That's the glory of love

As long as there's the two of us
We've got the world and all its charms
And when the world is through with us
We've got each other's arms

You've got to win a little, lose a little
Yes, and sometimes have the blues a little
That's the story of,
That's the glory of love

So to end this post I'll just add my own little verse to the song.  

You've got to live a little, blog a little

Take some time to ____________ a little

That's the story of,

That's the glory of love

You fill in the blank!