The Circle Of Life

Once again I am sitting in the quiet of this early hour waiting for family to greet the morning.  I do enjoy this time to reflect and store memories for future days at home when the house is too quiet and I am missing loved ones.  

The days have gone by quickly here as we filled them with chatter, laughter, serious talk, grandgirl snuggling, and even afternoon naps.  We visited their favorite bookstore, grocery, and Italian gelato ice cream place.  We took in the sights in this beautiful town, and enjoyed a couple of walks.  Last night we jumped in cars to go watch our oldest grandson, Evan, play JV football as center and right tackle.  The last person we watched play high school football was our oldest son, Matt, who is now in his early forties.  He played center, too.  It was great fun to be in the midst of their every day lives and take part.  A gift I pray we can open over and over again.  Now the  bags are packed, the cooler awaits its contents, and goodbyes will need to be said before we head home today.

As we visit our families individual homes, we observe how well each are doing life and we are so grateful.  Yet there is both this sense of joy and of sadness within.   Joy that faith is a priority and that love reigns.  Joy that they are happy and healthy.  Sadness only in the fact that we observe all this mostly from a distance that makes hugs few and far between.  You raise your kids with the hope that they will be independent, well rounded, productive, loving, faithful and faith-in-Jesus adults.  A blessing!  But along with that comes the wings they use to soar to those high and far places without you.  This is the circle of life.

So we treasure our treasures and embrace these moments as gifts to store in our hearts and in our memories and hopefully theirs.   We give thanks over and over for such times as these.  And even though at times sadness creeps in, we count it all joy!