I’m sure I’m a little sensitized right now since we are moving out of state in a week and a half and I am leaving half of my children behind.  But I have had some pretty precious times with each of my kids this week and they have said some things that have completely warmed my heart.  Not that out of the ordinary, but particularly precious to me right now.

Thursday night, Abby crawled up in bed with me and we had a really good and meaningful conversation about life and love and faith.  It was a wonderful time of enjoying my daughter’s ever emerging adult self as well as speaking not only as mother and daughter but as dear friends.  As she began to get sleepier after her long day, she asked me if she could fall asleep in my lap.  Huge smile.  She rested her head in my lap, and as I ran my fingers through her hair and rubbed her back, the past nearly 21 years rushed through my mind, and for a few moments she was three again, falling asleep in her mother’s arms.  Delicious. (This kid – love language of touch and words)

Yesterday, Brittany, who just finished finals and came home, asked me if I would go with her to get her hair cut. Flashbacks of taking her for haircuts when she was two with airplane chairs and reward suckers went through my head.  The times that we actually ride together in the same car are now few and very far between, so this was a welcome invitation that I gladly accepted.  More conversations of love and life and relationships.  Great, great stuff!  We joked and laughed with Jason (our hairdresser), she got a beautiful cut, and we went home to walk the dog together.  We went to the 4:00 dog gathering in the neighborhood park and chatted with the grandpas and their beloved canines. We giggled all the way home about our new found geriatric friends. Grin.(This child’s love language – time.)

Last night Janay texted me and asked if I could come and help her paint again today.  More yellow paint on her big armoire. So I headed to her house this afternoon. Trip down memory lane when we painted her pink bunny bedroom at age four.   Listening to her playlist (we love the same music) made the time go quickly in spite of the 96 degree heat. Halfway through, she excitedly asked me if she could make me her special turkey fruit salad for lunch.  So she fixed me lunch and thanked me 427 times for coming and helping with the painting. And the salad was delicious.  But it tasted better because it was made with such love. Beautiful.  (This child’s love language is acts of service.)

A few days ago, I took Blake to his Young Life bible study at a local coffee shop.  I sent him with money to get something to eat since it was around dinner time.  When I picked him up, I asked him for my change.  He said that there was a kid there who wanted to go to camp but didn’t have any money to save a spot.  So he gave him his “lunch money” to reserve a spot.  Smile.  My thoughts went back to when he was two and his baby brother had just died.  He crawled up on his crying mommy’s lap and offered her his orange popsicle and then went over to his big sister and put a washcloth to her chest because she said that her “heart was hurting” over losing Mitchell. Sigh.  (My little boy’s love language is touch and gifts.)

Time flies so, so quickly.  They were all just little and innocent and dependent about three and half days ago.  Now they are these amazing people that still have those baby hearts in many ways, but are loving others and loving God with grownup grace.

Am I crying?  Yes.  Will I miss them when I don’t get to see them and interact with them every day.  Absolutely. Do I sometimes wish I could stop time?  Yeah.  But am I sad?  No. There is no greater joy than watching your kids become big people and find their own lives and fulfill their own dreams.  We are just on the brink of that.  There is still so much to come.

Thank you, Jesus.  A very thankful mommy sits at Your feet tonight, completely humbled by such a gracious gift.  Thank you…