Wednesday, September 3, 2014

be grateful, mama.


One day this past week, Robs and I were driving home. Squísh and Em were both sleeping soundly, so she had my undivided attention. "Mom," she asked, "if you could live anywhere..." 

...and then I listened as she launched into a question that turned out to be super long- and very involved. It had something to do with choosing between a big house, with medium land - or a small house with lots of land (and medium side yards) - or a medium house with... I got confused.  So after she was done setting up the options, I asked he which one she'd choose. (Medium house, lots of land.) She told me about her perfect house - and then she said her one "concern" with our house is the size of our basement. 

I think I chuckled a bit. (And then cringed inside my head... because that has been the concern she's heard me say all too often.)

In that split second I realized how I'm not always outwardly grateful for every one of the God-given blessings I have. And ever since I broke my foot, I've been leery of certain parts of our house. And I think I've complained too much about certain things. And maybe I've channeled the stress from other parts of my life into perhaps, the size of our basement... and perhaps I haven't been quick enough at realizing all of this. 

But when I heard it coming from that sweet, little eight year old of mine, it was as clear as day.

Lesson learned. Because even though I may not love the size of our basement - I do love so many things about our life here. (For example: how all of us can pick strawberries, peaches, apples and pears without ever leaving the deck.) And those sweet little eight year old ears who listen even when I'm not thinking... need to hear it. 

1 comment:

  1. Oh Christine! Heaven must have realized that you and I are on the same wavelength. I learned the same lesson this week. Mine didn't come from a sweet 8 year old; it came from a nicely purring (as in not broken) car and putting simple and pretty things in my house like curtains and magnolias. I realized that the bunch of blessings that I have been given are just right for me. I don't need to lament about the ones that haven't arrived yet. I think that if I am grateful for the things I have right now, then I will be a much better person when the things I want finally arrive.

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