I don't grow my own vegetables (except our very first tomatoes this year) or bake my own bread, or hang my wash out on the line to dry, but my days are full. Full of genuine smiles and "I love you's," full of unpredictable meltdowns and misguided attitudes (my own included), full of warm breakfasts and cups that spill, full of difficult math and science concepts and stories that come to life upon our living room couch, full of daughters who test the limits of my patience all the day long after early morning bike rides and swimming in the afternoons and half-day trips to the beach and the park. My days are full even without the laundry, the bathrooms, the floors and the cooking.
But I want to serve. I don't want to own the phrase, "I just don't have time," for the rest of my life. Can I do no better in this race...for I know deep down that it is only outside of my comfort zone where the real work is done. The fruit of my labor comes with sacrifice. Talk is cheap for my children who learn best by example.
So we spend the morning away from school books and journals to be with our cousins because their mommy needs a helping hand for a few hours. Eight kids is certainly a handful...FOR ME.
It doesn't take long to get reacquainted even though it's been way too long since we've seen each other. TOO LONG.
We share our toys...and especially our chocolate chip cookies.
We give our time to the little ones.
And I realize they are growing up much too fast...that I need to find more ways to step out of my comfort zone...for them, because I know in my heart that they really need to know each other.
1 comment:
I did not know my cousins well growing up. Our mothers (sisters) had a falling out and didn't talk for several years. However, when we became "reacquainted," even though we saw each other infrequently, it was like we'd always been friends.
It remains that way today. They grew up in Seattle, us in San Jose. My aunt and uncle came to my wedding, along with two of my cousins--who were grown men by then.
Our moms have been best friends again now for several years, with my aunt and uncle living in Anacortes now--where we get the ferry to my mom's house on SJI. When Robert and I took the kids to SJI each of the last two summers, my mom hosted a "cousins bbq" where we became reacquainted once again--this time meeting everyone's spouses and children.
Cousins are a GIFT, and I'm sad that my children don't have any.
At the start of your post, my thought was, "but you serve your children!" Investing in cousin time is worth it. You don't need me to say that relationships are just as important as academics--and possibly even more so. :)
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