It's 0430 in the Morning on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Yesterday was the 1st day of school on our little island. Ian was showering; and I wanted to get the trash to the curb, the dishes done,and to the office really early. Three trips with the trash passed before I realized there was a gift on our patio. Lying on top of a cooler and beside our boogie boards and turkey fryer was a stack of 3 pillows and a warm wooby blanket. I just stopped and started laughing and crying at the same time.
As much as I want to go early to work on a project, I believe that this morning's time is best spent reflecting on the gifts of people in our lives. Yes, blankets and pillows this morning brought me an insight into how the Rat Race of work and schedules can need to be deprioritized for a moment.
In time zone 1, where we live, today is our cherished Godmother, Monique Mill's birthday (in the US her birthday is tomorrow). Yesterday in the US, was another friend, Sam Raborn's birthday. It is one of the quirks of world time zones that for us, today, they will essentially share a birthday. As I walked into our house carrying the blankets and pillows, it dawned on me that TODAY, I get to celebrate the lives of two people at the same time. Why don't I do that more often? It was at that moment that I knew I was not going to work early.
Huge transitions in life stop most of us short and force reflection. Deaths, Moves, Weddings, Illnesses, Births, Tragedies are just examples of how moments that demand a commitment of time and attention become markers throughout life's journey. Every person I have ever known uses some transition to date and time stamp memories. I want to find a way to make these more reflective moments as important as huge transitions. These snugly blessings from a wonderful person who is PCS'ing today ( Permanent Change of Station) will forever be linked in my memory with Monique and Sam's birthday, Deb's PCS, Ian's laughter as he burrowed under the blanket, the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the 4th anniversary of our move to Belize. and the warmth and smell of Love. I hope that taking the time to write these thoughts and sit next to Ian will indelibly mark this feeling in my memory.
Thank you, Deb Douthat, for the perpetually selfless generosity that makes you so precious to me. Thank you, San Raborn, for being a person that makes me smile whenever I think about you. Thank you, Monique, for 27 years of being our family and all that means. Thank you Ian, for 4 weeks of backpacking Europe and still asking me to sit next to you under a warm blanket. Finally, thank you Father God for the insight you sent me and the beauty of our world and our lives.
I pray that transitions in life will not overshadow the little moments that may actually be more important. I resolve to continue to recognize and celebrate the joy of those moments with the people that I love.
