Reflections

byCarlamarie58

1.5K followers

9 years ago

There are times to reflect...stop and smell the roses...lay aside all of the cares of the daily grind and well....just stop!

This past week has been a busy one, but so full of love and hugs and snuggles, and messes, and dirty diapers, and whiny children, and sloppy kisses. In short, it was the week for grandma to take care of 6 of her little blessings from God.The reason for this past crazy week was even more precious than the time with my grands! My daughter and her husband were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary! Since they still have a little infant rather dependent on his mama for sustenance, they had to stay relatively close. So grandma stepped in to save the anniversary celebration.

My daughter (the very picture of me some 22 years ago, with my own 6 little 'stair steps') and hubby planned a series of celebratory outings with pit-stops to feed the baby. It worked perfectly, and now that they are gone back home, grandma is picking up the pieces, and trying to make some sense of the home once more. But as I look at all of the neglected areas of my existence that have been laid aside for a week, I have to wonder....which activities, worries, tasks, 'time-eaters'...are really important enough to be picked up again? A precious week spent in the 'trenches' with the grandchildren does give some much needed perspective on the important things. All those snuggles, and wet kisses, and scrambling eggs and sausage yet one more time....all the kissing of the boo boos and the solving of the sibling conflicts...isn't that what its all about anyway? Can money buy a happy family, or peace, or health? I am so blessed to have a daughter that loves me and trusts me with her 6 precious darlings. I know so many families who don't have that kind of love and trust. I am so blessed!

I have a dear friend who always says, "when we say 'yes' to one thing, we are automatically saying 'no' to another". How many things have I said 'yes' to that, although good worthwhile things, might not be the BEST things for me to spend my time on? Definitely time to reevaluate... for this grandma...anyway. I am challenged to live my life in such a way that folks don't wag their heads at my funeral as I have (inwardly, of course) wagged my head at other funerals. The one that dies with the most stuff...still dies. And the 'stuff', the money, the riches, the property...all stays here when we depart. So as nice as treasures are here on earth, I know I won't be here forever! Whatever 'stuff' I invest in will look like so much 'wood, hay, and stubble' from the 'other side'. Relationships... with my family, my friends, my God, my community...these are the true treasures. Hard work, striving for success, being the best we can be, providing for the family... these are all really good things if kept in the proper perspective. But let's not neglect the BEST things while we do the good and necessary.

While the grandkids were here, we all sat down and watched the old film, Mary Poppins. What a great movie! Anytime I get a little preoccupied with the temporal, I am going to plug it in and watch it again. Love, laughter, friends, family...a good dose of 'perspective' in a great children's flick!

Till the next time I 'reflect', Carla Marie