Those friends

Feeling a little nostalgic today.

I think that "true" friends are very much taken for granted.  We all think we have them, but soon discover not everyone is "true" friend material.  Boo.  But let me tell you now, finding that one friend, or two, who will ride out any situation with you is one of the best feelings in the world.  I'm really counting my blessings today for the people in my life who know how to keep your confidence, send you a little pick-me-up note, push you through your weak moments, tell you like it is -- with love, know who you are and what you're made of...

So many people, I've found, have a limit on their friendship.  Eventually, they decide to give up and choose to see the negative or choose to believe a misguided word.  How many times have these unfortunate situations ruined a beautiful budding relationship?  *sigh*  My Sunday school teacher once shared that "a man is lucky to have five true friends in his life".  How hard that was for me to see while I was young.  I mean, shoot, I had friends for a dime a dozen.  We played Barbies, house, cowboys and Indians.  They were my friends, right?  Only good friends let you wear their clothes or give you a fresh pair of underwear when you forgot to bring yours to the sleepover...

Time tells and reveals so much about the character of mankind.  So fickle and flighty.  So conditional and critical.  Good luck finding a brother who will stand by you through the storm. 

Today, I am thankful for the few people I have in my life who have never questioned my character or integrity.  They know me in such a deep way.  They accept my faults and work with me.  They have a smile, a nudge or a whisper to keep me focused.  They see the good in me.  They see the good.  Shame, shame on those who enjoy finding the faults of their brother.  Shame.  Don't tear down.  Lift up your brother in his weakened state, for if you don't, you are no better than he in his folly...

Extend a hand.

Thank you to all of my childhood friends and thank you to those who came into my life in my early twenties.  You are the people who have helped me to become who I am today.

For youth is the smell of innocence...

If you raise your children right... those flowers above were picked for me by Cylas. He came in and handed them to me proudly, "Mahma, you so bleuu-ful". My heart melts every time he does that. He prides himself in being a skilled flower picker. He'll find weeds that have flowers and he'll gift them to me and I make sure to place them in water and set them out for all to see. There are so many thoughts that flood my mind when he does special things like this with me specifically in mind. It shows he loves me and I'm not too far from his thoughts. Is this type of gift giving love on the road to respect for me and his papa? For some reason, I think that love and respect go hand in hand. Yes, he's only three but he's learning what it's like to care for someone and be concerned for someone he loves.

I may be his mother, but Romalise is definitely his little sister. He shows his love and concern for her in different, more violent ways. Well, not always. If she's crying, he'll come to me and say, "Get her, mahm. Take her." And if she looks bored, he'll take every stitch of clothing, sheet and or stuffed animal and pile it on her until it's a writhing mass of toys and stuff. She'll be screaming/crying/laughing and I'm running through the house trying to find out where she's at. Then I'll spot the convulsing pile of stuffed animals and rescue her. Of course, Cylas thinks it's the greatest accomplishment in the world to bury his little sister in all of his worldly possessions. Ahhh, yes. And then there is the curious obsession of sitting on her and seeing how long he can get away with it. Why? Squashing your sister like a helpless bug is never a good thing. But for Cylas it's pretty stinkin' cool. He'll grow out of it soon enough, right?

With all of these fun adventures and new lessons to learn and teach, I pray that I can continue to cultivate this love and respect for me and David in my children and that respect for others will be second nature. What more could a parent ask for than responsible citizens and true Christians.

So many little things that make your life special to you

I was thinking about all of the many thing that take place in my life that are unique to me and my family. It really made me smile! There are no other children in the world like my mine. They have a certain smell, sound, look and a way about them that makes it possible for me to identify them in a crowd of a million others. Now that Cylas is a little older, he has developed a few distinct qualities that are so special to me. He likes to walk around on his tiptoes sometimes hence a very affectionate nickname bestowed on him by my mother "TwinkleToes". When he talks, he tends to salivate and therefore slurps his saliva as he is telling you something. He reads his books on the floor, legs crossed and with a ramrod-straight back staring down intently at the pictures. He sings songs like: The wheels on the bus go round and round, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jingle Bells and Old McDonald had a farm. He is extremely mischievous and is constantly hatching plans to escape out the front door. A good arm and back rub are always in the top five super important things that mommy MUST do for him...next to having a cold tippy full of milk this is paramount! He MUST have his hat, jacket and gloves on before going outside...choke the pants.
He loves his little sister and is very concerned for her welfare. For instance, we were trying to leave the other morning and I had to go out to warm up the car. I took him with me so I could strap him in. As I pulled the van around to the front of the house, he asks in a worried little voice "Wheh Womah? Beebee?" Translated : Where is Roma? Baby?
I smiled and told him that we were going to get her and not to worry. And every evening he has to make sure he kisses her goodnight. If she isn't in her bassinet, he looks for her to make sure she's close by. Just this morning I told him to go potty and he took a detour into our bedroom to check on his little sis before his final destination. Roma, on the other hand, has just started cooing and gurgling. She is a very happy baby and loves to talk. Next to sleeping, it's her favorite thing to do! You can tell that she loves her papa a lot because she responds so well to him by burbling and making gaga sounds. She burps for him too! She enjoys being held high up on your shoulder so she can see the world. And if you look at her and say "Ah-gooo" she will respond likewise. I love the way she stares at me so intently. She doesn't have words yet but I can feel her telling me that she loves me.
My life is uniquely mine and I love it!