Lightning Bugs and Summer Nights

Do you remember summer nights as a child? Remember all the fun you had? You didn't have a care in the world! Your only worry was whether Momma was going to call you in before dark! You really hoped not! That hot sun would finally go down and give way to the cooler night. The lightning bus filled the air!

Last night, my husband and I sat outside and listened to the happy laughter and squeals! We saw lightning bugs being caught and released! We listened as happy peeps bounced high up into the night sky on our trampoline. Sometimes we adults need to just sit and listen to happy children at play. It reminds us of life before all our responsibilities. It won't be long and all of our peeps will have responsibilities too. So, for today, I will enjoy the summer sounds of children!

Second Grade

Second grade. That's the grade my "baby" just finished. I absolutely loved having a second grader! Second graders are becoming independent, yet they still have a few of their "little kid" ways. By the end of second grade, she could make her own lunch in the morning, but still enjoyed wearing her "frilly-fru-fru" skirts!

In second grade children still have so much wonder about their world! They see people as "good" and are in disbelief when someone hurts their feelings. There's still so much in the world around them to learn about! Why are leaves green in the spring and summer? Why do those same leaves change color in the fall? Why must those pretty leaves whither and die in the winter?

Second graders still have arms, legs, and heads that are just a wee bit disproportionate to their bodies too! They're just so cute! Those cute, wonder-filled people still like to snuggle.

But....

Soon they grow into third graders.... Third graders still have a lot of wonder, but their "little kid" ways are leaving....

I'm holding onto my little one for as long as I can. But, it's obvious to me that she's soon to be a third grader...

Go Fish!

This time is fleeting. This time will be gone in the blink of an eye! The golden years will soon fade into teenage years.... What are "the golden years"? They're those magical years where a child can do a lot independently, but still want to spend time with you!

These years have been wonderful! We bake together, play games together, and share what's on our hearts and minds. Sometimes what's on our hearts and minds is fun dreams about the future! Sometimes it's something that drags on and on....all I hear is blah, blah, blah in my precious son's voice talking about bugs, birds, or snakes. Sometimes it's sadness over what names we're being called at school. But, it's a lot of interaction! These years are truly golden...

I really enjoyed chillin' with my peeps today. We baked lemon bars and brownies. We did some things independently. But, I think the most enjoyable part of my day was playing Go Fish! I'm sure we sat on the floor going 'round and 'round for over an hour! These days will soon be gone, so for now... I'll drop my housework for the opportunity to play Go Fish!

Joy in Life...Is it because of circumstance?

Have you ever really thought about the difference between joy & happiness? I have. Happiness is temporary.....I was happy to get to dress up for an '80's pary! I'm happy that the 2 peeps that took EOG's made 4's on all of them. I'm happythat I got to go out to lunch with a friend today. I'm happy that I got a new skirt & cute shoes at Good Will yesterday! I'm even happy that I sold some of our 'junk' at a yard sale Saturday! But, joy....what is joy?

Joy is deep. It's not just a temporary high from life circumstance. Joy is a contentment even in the midst of horrible circumstances. Joy can't be mustered up! You can't just decide, "I'm going to be joyful today if it kills me!" All of this has been rolling around in my head for quite sometime. Why?

Well....When my visual impairment took my ability to read without a magnifier, write checks/pay bills, drive, see the peeps precious faces, I thought I'd never be happy again! Well....I was looking at things so much differently than I should've been. Driving brings getting out of my house independently...that brings happiness. Reading and writing without aid makes life easier, that brings happiness! Seeing my sweet peeps' faces clearly surely brings much happiness, but it doesn't bring joy!

Interacting with the peeps and the hubs brings joy that's unimaginable! Being content with our life circumstances here & now brings joy! The joy comes from knowing that there's someone who's in control of all of this...this life that seemed like such a mistake, like it just wasn't supposed to happen this way! But it was. This life that the hubs, the peeps, and I are living is exactly as it was meant to be! There is a plan. The Planner is weaving all these frazzled, frayed threads into a beautiful tapestry! That's where the joy is!

It appears that soon I'll be back on the road with a restricted driver's license, but that just makes me happy. The joy is in the journey.