Women November 23, 2009
Last night I was down on the beach with Adam, 
Sky, my mom, Aunt Mary, and the two dogs. Everything was muted; the sunset was pale, the water was calm, and the air was still. Lately the emphasis in my family has been on my dad, remembering who he was and all of his funny and best attributes. But last night as I watched my mom and aunt walking along the water’s edge with Sky, I couldn’t help but think about the quality women in my family.
Mary and my mom love the beach and they love to pick up smooth, pretty stones along the shoreline. But because Sky was with them yesterday, they moved slowly down the edge of the water, helping her put rocks of her own into a plastic bag. Later she wanted to throw half of them into the water, and they cheered for her as she tossed them all of three inches ahead of her little tennis shoes. “When you have a toddler,” my mom told me the other day, “the best thing you can do is slow down and go at their pace.” Watching her interact with Sky is a constant reminder to me that finishing my to-do list shouldn’t always be my top priority.
My mom and Mary both have seven kids, and the older I get the more amazing that fact becomes. My first pregnancy was a breeze. I walked several miles every day, right up until I gave birth a week overdue. This time around things are still fairly easy, but I feel more tired. It’s awkward trying to hold my sixteen month old with my belly so big and round. I have varicose veins and my back is sore a lot. I don’t mean to complain – I’m honestly thrilled to be pregnant. I just want to emphasize the fact that this is my second baby and most of the time I feel worn out. My mom and my aunt did this seven times. And not just the pregnancy part, but the sleepless-nights-newborn stage and the temper-tantrum-two-year-old stage and even the rebellious teenager stage. Seven times. And what I remember most about them from my childhood was all the laughing they did, and the way they had coffee breaks just about every afternoon while all of us kids ran wild.
Lately I can’t seem to get over how much I’ve been given when it comes to family. Now that I’m a mother myself, I’m starting to realize how much I have to live up to. I can only hope that God will give me the ability to follow the pattern set before me as I raise my children.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required.” – from Luke 12: 48
You are an awesome mom, Linni. I know when Sky is a mommy herself, she will feel the same as you do now. Your mom and I feel that way about Grandma. We’re all in the motherhood club together, and we who have walked further down the road are rooting for you. Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Love you…and thanks for not using a photo of us crossing the creek!
I saw that photo of us crossing the creek, and we looked pretty nimble for a couple of old ladies.
Nice pictures of the sunset.
Raising children is a ministry on various levels and is usually not recognized or appreciated by society. First to them-as you give them the loving nurture and training to be raised up as a godly person.
Second to others-who will be influenced by the standards you instill in them.
You are a godly, caring mother and will do well through each stage because you seek counsel from the Lord and the mentors He has put in your life.
Let the Lord manage your “to do” list by asking Him what He would have you do with the time and energy He has given you for that day. He will show you what is truly important for that day/week/month.
Skylar is blessed to have you as a mother. Enjoy what time you have together before her little brother comes along. I agree with your aunt and mother to slow down to your children’s pace and take the time to see this great big world through their little eyes.