Today isn’t Mother’s Day anymore, but we have slowed down enough for me to realize how much a simple day of the year can make me miss my family so much.
I know this year was different.
Only one child lives in the same state as my parents. My sister is in Colorado with her husband Nick and my little brother is in Virginia at Marine TBS, and two days ago was his birthday! Which also might be what brought on this reflection.
I was just sitting here on the floor thinking about mother’s day and how we would have cleaned the house late the night before to make mother’s day special. How we would have woken up early to try to make a special breakfast, or just gone out to buy Tony’s doughnuts (that’s more of a father’s day thing). How we would all get dressed a little extra special for church, knowing a family picture was bound to happen before we could change into comfy clothes. Heading to church after a possible cappuccino from the machine we use about five times a year. At church we would hear an encouraging message about mothers or women and then take a family picture somewhere pretty. We would go home and possibly take another picture or wait and take one once my grandparents came over. After church we might have also had my dad take a detour home while us kids ran to the flower store to pick out the hanging plants for the porch for my mom to see when she got home. We would eat a healthy meal full of veggies because they are my mom’s FAVORITE! If it was not raining we would eat outside no matter how chilly it might still be outside because “fresh air is good for us”. The rest of the day would be relaxing we might watch a movie but more likely we would play games and probably a game of pea pool at some point in the basement. The day would end in a game of euchre or a euchre tournament.
I miss when life was simple, when school was the only big thing each day. When chocolate chip banana pancakes were THE after school snack. When we would drive to my grandma’s everyday to visit our kittens. When night swims were a special occasion. When we had forced family fun nights. When we all went to church together even if we had to wear a sports uniform and go to the first service.
Even though that is when life was simpler, that is not the point of life. I am happy to have had happy memories from before, but we can’t keep living as children. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter about how we must grow up. From babies needing milk to maturity and eating solid foods. This is about spiritual maturity, but is true for the physical too. It would not be right for me to still be in elementary school at 26. It wouldn’t be right for me to be eating McDonald’s regularly either. Or for me to be still just learning the basics of the Bible since I have known of it for so long.
This blog started as a reminiscent blog but turned into a lesson to me.
If you did not know (I don’t know how you couldn’t if you have ever met me) I am an outward processor. I tend to ask someone a question about what I should do, give an answer to myself before they can answer and solve my own problem.
That is what happened in this blog. I wrote out some of the things I miss. All of the memories and all of the things I wish I had been doing on Mother’s Day. While writing it out God reminded me it is good to mature. That I was called for such a time as this to be on the other side of the world from my family. That during those times when life was “easier” I was longing for the life I am living now.
I miss my family and friends a lot, don’t get me wrong. But, this life is short and there is so much work for the Kingdom that I have been called to do.
I hope this encourages some of you in thinking about the past and seeing the growth you have had since then.
I know memories are important or else we wouldn’t have them.
Reflecting on where you are now is a great way to see the growth God has done in you!!
