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Five Orphans

Posted on May 18, 2009 by auburnchick

This was a sad day.  It was the day when five children said goodbye to their mother.

You probably remember my post a few days ago.  I had a few incorrect details.  I didn’t realize it, but there are five, not four, children.  In addition, their mother was engaged, as I read in her obituary.  I found it comforting that she had found love again after losing her husband so tragically.

The funeral was this morning.  Rooster asked if he could attend as a show of support for the kids he attends Youth with.  I gladly obliged and picked him up from school with enough time to let him change to more appropriate clothes.  It was nice to have him beside me.

We got there early, but the church quickly filled as the time for the service drew nearer.

And then it was time.  We stood as the family walked in, led by the five orphaned children.

This was, perhaps, the saddest procession I’ve ever seen.

I watched as the eldest daughter slowly made her way to the front, her right hand tightly grasping that of her youngest sister’s, the other children following behind.

I honestly do not think that there was a dry eye in the church.  I know that the tears flowed freely and abundantly from my own.

The service proceeded with a wonderful message from one of our pastors.  He assured us that the mom had been a follower of Christ and was, thus, reunited with her deceased husband and the baby they lost a few years ago.  That brought a little comfort, but not much.  All I could think about were those five children sitting on the front row.

At the end of the service, we watched as they trailed behind the casket, wiping tears from their eyes.

Sigh…

I know that God allowed this into their lives, but it’s so hard to understand why.  I don’t know what will happen to these children…if they will remain together or even continue attending our church.  I hope so, on both counts.  All I can do is pray and trust that nothing happens without God planning it, and He uses everything to His glory.

May they find comfort in the fact that one day, they too will be reunited with their lost loved ones.  May the Lord wrap His strong arms around them, and may they find rest in Him during the difficult days ahead.

Filed under: This-n-That | 1 Comment »

A Contest

Posted on May 18, 2009 by auburnchick

No, I’m not giving anything away.  You wish.  I’m afraid that I’m a bit too stingy for that.

But, my friend DivaKnitting is!  And it’s a good one!

Go to her site and check it out!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Dividing Up the Work

Posted on May 18, 2009 by auburnchick

One of my readers commented on my post about fixing the garbage disposal.  She said that I never mention the Mr. when I talk about fixing things.

I pondered this comment a bit yesterday…while on the long drive home from West Palm.

How many of you are traditionalists?  Meaning that household chores are divided along traditionally gender accepted lines?

As I was growing up, I watched my mom perform a host of duties that fell way beyond the traditional role of a woman.  My mom demolished rooms in our old home…renovating it completely.  She peeled wallpaper, sanded floors, maintained a very large yard, grew vegetables in her garden, along with a host of other tasks.  I never saw her shirk from a  task, no matter how hard it appeared to be.  I also never saw her ask for help from my step-dad.

I think that this “can-do” message permeated my brain, and I adopted it into my own lifestyle.  As such, I pretty much do anything and everything around the house.  I fix the plumbing, take care of the yard, clean the house, and cook.  I also keep up with the kids’ school stuff…grades, assignments, schedule…you name it.  If it’s related to the children, I’m pretty much in charge of it.  The way I’ve always looked at it is this:  if something needs to be done, why wait for someone else to do it?

I remember the time when I decided to remove the water savers from our faucets.  We’ve always had water pressure problems, and with our thick heads of hair, this simply won’t do.  So, one day I decided to do something.  I remember getting to the kids’ bathtub faucet and being unable to remove it.

What did I do?

Not wait for the Mr. to get home from work.

I went to Home Depot and bought the biggest wrench you’ve ever seen.  No kidding.  It’s huge.  I should take a picture of it, but I’m feeling lazy.

Well, I got the faucet off and removed the water savers, but then I encountered a problem getting it back on.  Try as I might, I could not get it on again.  I worked all afternoon so I wouldn’t have to ask for help.  When the Mr. came home, he found me in the bathroom almost in tears.  After laughing (and grumbling a bit), he got it back on.

I had a friend whose husband worked out-of-state.  During Christmas, she would wait for him to come home and put up the Christmas tree and lights.  Then, the tree would stay up until his next trip home in January to take them down.

I used to stand amazed at this.  If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t have a tree or any decorations.  The Mr. has absolutely no interest in such mundane tasks.

What does the Mr. do?  He goes to work.  He will, occasionally, take care of the car needs, although I’m often at the garage getting the oil changed.  I never get new tires without asking him first, though.  He also handles our financial matters, which I used to do but gave up when I went back to school.  It was simply too much for me.  He takes care of Chicky’s soccer business, although I am in the know.  He corresponds with coaches and keeps up with the schedule.

I hope this explains how our house runs.  I think that in the world we live in, it’s not uncommon to find tasks divided up so non-traditionally.

What about your home?

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 3 Comments »