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Annoyed With Lakeland’s Post Office

Posted on January 23, 2014 by auburnchick

Yesterday was Chicky’s birthday.

I mailed her present on Saturday and eagerly watched the tracking information.

It was out for delivery on Tuesday…the day before her birthday; yet, when she got home, she had not received it.

Say what?

Yesterday, I checked the status, and it showed as being “Available for pickup.”

I was very confused and called about six different post offices in Lakeland…trying to figure out which one her package was being handled by.

I finally reached a lady around 4pm, and she offered to check into it and call me back.

Meanwhile, I received another email saying it had been delivered.

I eagerly texted Chicky, but when she went to the mailbox, she had NOTHING.

I am freaking out right now.

It appears as though the package was delivered TO THE WRONG ADDRESS, which is completely asinine because the label I printed from the online postage I paid for, clearly shows that I typed the CORRECT address.

Have I mentioned that I’m ticked off right now?

I also paid for PRIORITY shipping…guaranteed delivery.

Ugh.

I’m trying to remember to pray about this, but I AM TICKED.

I don’t want someone else to have my girl’s package.

She’s the one who is supposed to fill up the package of love I sent her.

Grrr.

Please say a quick prayer that things get resolved.  This mama heart is stressed right now.

Thanks!

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Headed Home

Posted on December 30, 2013 by auburnchick

I arrived at Chicky’s house twelve days ago.

It’s hard to believe that nearly two weeks have gone by so quickly.

During that time, she had her ACL surgery.  Life, for a few days, passed in four-hour increments…the amount of time between doses of pain medication…

I spent more money at CVS in a five-day span than should be allowed.  Chicky now has a fine assortment of stool softeners, anti-itch medicine, and Advil tablets (for the inflammation in her knee).

By the way, I think some of the above was a bit TMI.

Oh well.

We celebrated Christmas…

Puppy sitting for one of the athletic trainers…

I received lovely gifts.  The earrings were from Super Sis and her family.  They also gave me the jewelry stand.

I got to love on lots of fur babies, including Cali and the others Chicky’s roommate brought home with her on Saturday…

Cali was concerned about Chicky, sensing that things were off.  She has stuck close to her side ever since we got home from the surgery…

Chicky and I tried to get out to stores on the 26th; however, she became too ill from her pain meds, so we had to turn around and go home.

I was determined to get her moving, so we tried again the next day, after she’d quit taking her pain pills, and she fared much better, even riding around Target in a motorized wheelchair.

The 27th was a big day for Chicky; she had her follow-up with the surgeon and her first physical therapy appointment!

The PA in the doctor’s office got her leg to 80 degrees…

This was a huge step and vitally important to achieving full range of mobility again.

Some of the best news was that Chicky could take the immobilizer off and walk with one cane for support.  This made our shopping excursion the next day a lot less cumbersome…especially while we tried on shoes and fun leggings…

Those are my legs in the center picture, and no, I did not purchase the pants, showing great restraint. Had the Little Mermaid pair been available in my size, I would have bought them.

We had a bit of an adventure when we took Chicky’s laundry to a place that did everything for us.  At ninety cents a pound, with a minimum of nineteen pounds, we thought it was a great deal…

Until the woman weighted Chicky’s stuff…

And discovered that she had over thirty-six pounds of dirty clothes and linens.

I went halfsies with her, and we killed four hours of waiting by doing the above shopping.

We also ate a free lunch, courtesy of Tijuana Flats…

Chicky held up like a trooper.  I was extremely proud of her.  Neither one of us napped that day either!  It was a victory all the way around!

Our twelve days together found us watching a LOT of TV.  We decided to watch Prison Break, which I’d watched when the series originally aired and had gotten a hankering to watch after my nail salon played the pilot the last time I got my nails done.

Chicky was hooked from the first show, and we spent hours, end-on-end, watching.  We made it to Season 2, Episode 13, I think.

Our addiction was so bad that as we killed time on Saturday, we would look at each other, smile slyly, and admit to wanting to be back at the house watching TV.

Something I did not do much of during that twelve days was work.  I just didn’t feel like it, despite taking all of my lesson planning stuff and a bunch of grading.

My focus was Chicky…even on the days when I wanted to go into the bathroom and cry because of the way she was lashing out at me…a lot of it because of the pain and sickness from the surgery.

These last twelve days have been about servitude…giving when it’s not easy…forgiving when the hurting is more than physical…compromising when needed but standing your ground at certain times too (“Yes, you have to take these pain killers,” said on the second night home from the surgery).

These last twelve days have been about patience.  I did, after all, invade Chicky’s world…the microcosm of existence that she has created for herself as a bona-fide adult.  I didn’t always do things like she would have done, but I tried.  We both had to bite our tongues more than one, or three, or twenty times during these last couple of weeks.

These last twelve days have been about watching my little girl…not so little, really, this go-around with the ACL surgery (the last one was eight years ago)…fight for independence over the daily tasks that I won’t be here to help her do when I leave today.

While it’s going to be hard not to be with her, protecting her from puppies that might run into her in their exuberance (ahem), reminding her to ice her knee after doing her twice-daily exercises, and dispensing her Advil, I know that God continues to hold her in the palm of His gentle hands.

It’s been such an honor, and I do mean that, to take care of her…tending to her needs…being there when she called out for me in the middle of the night.

We will return to our busy lives, but I’ll never forget this time with my girl…a hidden blessing bestowed upon me by my gracious heavenly Father.

Filed under: children, soccer | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Humbled Gratefulness

Posted on December 24, 2013 by auburnchick

It’s a unique Christmas Eve for my family this year.

Chicky opted to have her ACL surgery right before the holiday so she could use her two weeks of Christmas vacation to recuperate without having to take time off…something that would have been frowned upon at the school she just started teaching at.

Normally, Christmas Eve finds us doing the mad dash around town, picking up what really are unneeded items…stopping off at Starbucks for treats and laughter.

This year, I started off the day coaxing Chicky into the car for what we hoped would be our first foray into the real world since Friday.

We had to turn around because she got so nauseous that she was going to be sick, and she proceeded to throw up when we got back to the house.

It wasn’t the ideal start to the day.

I called the doctor’s office, and we changed her pain medicine.  The nurse also called in a prescription for the nausea.

What a sweet lady the nurse was.  She commiserated with Chicky’s troubles and offered a unique way to take the pain medicine…speaking from her own personal experience with the stuff.  She talked to me for at least fifteen minutes before we hung up.

Poor Chicky.  Her body just cannot handle pain medicine.  She’s rarely had to take them over the years, so the foreign chemicals wreak havoc in her body.

While she dozed off on the couch, I drove to the doctor’s office, showed my ID to the clerk, and was given my script.  The clerk was one of the nicest women ever…especially given that this is Christmas Eve.

I took the prescription to CVS, and though the pharmacy was a mad house, the pharmacist patiently answered all of my questions, and the clerk entered Chicky’s information quickly.  Her nausea medicine was already ready for me to take home, and the new pain meds would be ready in an hour.

This is completely unheard of!  I’ve been in pharmacies almost every Christmas Eve for the last twenty years.  Someone in my family ALWAYS gets sick on this day.  I’ve always had to wait three or four hours.

When I returned an hour later, the gal who rang me up asked if Chicky was feeling any better.  Her sympathy was so sincere.  She was patient, even though there were other customers waiting.

I left with a smile on my face despite my heart that was hurting for Chicky.  I cannot stand when my babies are unwell.

I went straight from CVS to Publix to pick up more fruit.  I’ve been making my famous apple/orange/pineapple juice for Chicky every day, and we were running low on supplies.

The store was c-r-a-z-y, let me tell you, but once again, I encountered patient employees who wore honest smiles.

Even the lady in the McDonald’s drive-thru window had eyes that twinkled when I picked up a Happy Meal for Chicky (she has, as of this moment, eaten the whole thing and kept it down).

Chicky is sleeping as I type this.

I spent some time thinking while I straightened my hair, taking advantage of some down time.

I reflected on the spirit of Christmas, which I just haven’t felt this year.

This season is all messed up for me.

I’ve found myself doing last-minute shopping at Walgreens and CVS.

Desperation and convenience seem to be the order of the day.

As I reflected, I thought of each person I encountered today…each so giving though they had to work…each taking an extra moment or two to make me feel like they were sharing my burdens with me.

Isn’t that what Jesus came to earth to do?

He humbled himself to the point of becoming a baby and came to earth so He could make a tangible difference in our lives.

He sacrificed His seat on the throne of heaven to touch the lives of those who needed Him.

I felt the Christmas spirit today…in each individual who crossed paths with me.

I am humbled.

I am grateful.

It’s been a tough few days, but God’s Spirit is alive, just as it was that first Christmas Eve.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

One Tough Cookie

Posted on December 23, 2013 by auburnchick

Sorry I haven’t posted in a few days.  The days have passed by in a blur since Friday when Chicky had her surgery.

We drove down on Thursday and met Chicky and her roommate for dinner.  Chicky was in a very chipper mood despite knowing that she would soon be having her knee cut open and a new ACL constructed from her patella.  Her Tweets reflected her eagerness to get the surgery over with.

After we returned to the hotel, I caught up on reading my emails and found a couple from my students (they also attached the essays that had been due the day before)…touching thoughts wishing my Chicky well…

We spent Friday morning shopping for groceries at Sams and Publix.  We knew that we wouldn’t be in any shape to put a lot of effort into cooking, so we wanted to be prepared.

We were told that her surgery was scheduled for 1:30.  Showtime at the surgery center was 12:30 for prep work.

We arrived as told, given a pager and instructions on how things would proceed, and then waited.

Chicky was taken back by herself first to get an IV set up.  Once she was prepped, we were called back to wait with her until it was her time to be taken to the operating room.

We were very nervous, but once again, she surprised us with her winsome smile and easy laughter.  She even allowed me to take a picture of her giving a big thumbs up.

Her roommate arrived at the surgery center and went back to talk to her for awhile.  She left soon after so we could spend the rest of the time with Chicky.

We noticed her appointment time come and go without her being taken back.  It turned out that her actual surgery time was between 3 and 5, and the doctor was running a bit behind.  He had twelve surgeries that day.

Whew!

Finally, he stopped by, and we got to meet him…a very soft-spoken, calm man who, it turned out, hails from a town not too far from us.  Chicky showed him her right leg…the one she was being operated on…the one she had to write the word “Yes” on…the one that her roommate had a bit of fun with and wrote the word in various languages…

We got to ask questions, much to Chicky’s chagrin (she’s all grown up at nearly 22 years old, don’t you know), and we were left to wait some more.

Hurry up and wait seems to be the name of the game when you’re talking about anything medical related, eh?

Still, the staff was very kind and accommodating.

The dreaded moment came when we had to part with Chicky.  It was hard to watch her walk away, but she was laughing as she did, flanked on both sides by animated surgical assistants who, it wound up, were playing rap music in the OR.

We had been told that the surgery would take an hour and a half…two tops.  I set my timer, and we began to grow anxious as we watched the time creep past one hour forty-five minutes.  When it passed two hours fifteen minutes, our stomachs started flip-flopping.  At 2:20, our pager went off.  It was time to have a consultation with the doctor.

He met us in a private room and assured us that the surgery had gone very well and that there was no other damage.  Praise God!  I had been concerned that there might be extra stuff he’d have to fix.  MRIs don’t always show everything.

We were sent back to the waiting room for another twenty minutes before our pager went off for the final time.  It was finally time to be reunited with Chicky.  I was nervous.  The last time we’d visited her in recovery had been bad.

To our surprise, she was sitting up…very groggy…but in a pleasant mood!  Her head kept hanging over, and she kept dozing off, but she was smiling.

She made me take a picture of her leg with the immobilizer on it and post it on Instagram.

Modern technology, eh?

I was shocked when the nurses had her get up and walk, without crutches, to the bathroom to get dressed.  She was on so much medication that she couldn’t feel any pain, and she was able to dress herself, with me standing with my back to her but still in the room with her.

It wasn’t long before we put her in the car and headed to her house.  Still in a good mood, she joked the entire way…albeit slurring her words a bit.  She settled on the couch and had a lucid conversation until the Mr. left to return to the hotel.  I was staying with Chicky.

Chicky watched TV for a while, got up to potty…all the while walking without crutches…and even tried to clean up the house!  She did a bit of a dance before heading to bed.

Ahhh…the effects of anesthesia.  How very deceiving they were!

The Mr. returned the next morning and found a cheerful Chicky.  She’d had a good night and was still motoring around fairly easily.  When he left to return home, we were both laying on the pull-out couch set for a day of watching TV and me waiting on her hand-and-foot.

The rest of the day passed by without too much trouble.

It’s pretty hard to complain when your day looks like this…

Beggar!

Creepy movie…reminded me why I don’t watch these things…

Dog-sitting for the athletic trainer. This little girl has adopted me.

Toward the end of the evening, her pain started to get worse, and her leg started tightening up as the original pain meds worked their way out of her system.

Things turned ugly on Sunday when she woke up barely able to move her leg, in a lot more pain, and feeling very nauseous.  She was also unable to use the bathroom…an unfortunate side effect from the pain medicine.  She finally quit taking her pain meds…simply refused…and I wasn’t about to pull a defensive lineman move, pin her down, and force her to swallow those pills.  She paid the price late that night when she woke up in more pain than she could bear.

She took the pills after that.

God had been gracious, though, and helped her body start doing what it was supposed to do, if you catch my drift.

Poor girl.

That takes us through today, which has been up and down with a lot of aggravation on her part…unwrapping her immobilizer to let her leg breathe…unwrapping and re-wrapping the ACE bandage (I should have taken lessons pre-surgery…seriously)…and still more nausea.

I’m hoping that Christmas Eve will find her able to get out of the house for a few minutes, inhale fresh air, and feel a bit of holiday spirit.

I’m sure looking at my face is getting old by now.

I will say that despite the circumstances, we’ve managed to have some fun.

Our TV time has consisted of episodes of Say Yes to the Dress and Toddlers and Tiaras…both shows I’ve never watched before.

By the way, I find it disgraceful that kids are given sports drinks and such sugar snacks like Pixie Sticks to be able to “perform.”  Sorry to be judgmental, but what are people thinking?!  This show, while funny at times, makes me mad at the way kids are coddled and “beauty” that comes across as fake is applauded.  Sheesh.

Back to this post…

heehee

Please continue to pray for Chicky.  She still has a long road ahead of her.  She will return to work on the 6th.  She has a long way to go before she’s ready.

She’s shown me, once again, what a tough cookie she is…determined to lead life her way, push through obstacles, and come out on top.

I love her to pieces and am grateful that I can be here to take care of her during the toughest days.

All glory to God for the healing He is working in her body and the way He will use her trials to bring glory to Himself.

Filed under: children, soccer | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Going Under the Knife

Posted on December 20, 2013 by auburnchick

Today, Chicky is finally going to have surgery to repair her torn ACL.

Because she tore her left one eight years ago (wow, it seems like only yesterday!), we know what to expect this time.

That doesn’t make it any easier though.

She goes under the knife at 1:30 Eastern time, and we sure would appreciate your prayers.

She’s a tough young lady with a high pain tolerance, but this is brutal surgery to recover from, so there will be some long days (and nights) ahead of us.

She’s a very mobile young lady.  Being limited by an immobilizer and a knee that will be painful to bend will not be her cup of tea.

She’s resilient, though, and determined to come back as strong as before.

I know she will.  She the type of girl that champions are made of…full of grit and stubbornness.

Ultimately, it will be the Lord who restores her…of this I am sure.

3 John 1:2

English Standard Version (ESV)

2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

A Girl, Her Cleats, a Diploma, and a Single Tear

Posted on December 14, 2013 by auburnchick

Friday evening, I had the honor of watching my girl graduate, with honors, from Southeastern University.

The ceremony was held at a large, impossible to navigate to, church in Lakeland (Siri thought it was on I-4 instead of just off of it).

The church was festive, decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, and trees.

This graduating class consisted of about 192 young people.

Southeastern University is a Christian college that walks the talk it puts forth.  Every part of the commencement ceremony honored God, from the opening prayer, to the congregational hymn, to the speeches that were given before diplomas were awarded.

Quite honestly, this didn’t feel like a college graduation but a Sunday morning worship service.

It was warm and cozy, with graduates sitting in the first few rows and supportive family and friends sitting behind them.

Chicky’s best friend, M, drove from UCF, the college she attends, to watch Chicky graduate.  She’s a lovely young woman whom we’ve had the privilege of knowing for almost ten years.  She and Chicky played travel soccer together for most of those years and only separated when their college paths put them an hour away from each other, playing for different schools.

We consider her a member of the family, so it was with great joy when she sat beside us.

I thought I wasn’t going to cry during the ceremony, but when the music started, and I saw Chicky walk down the aisle, a single tear escaped and rolled down my cheek.

I couldn’t help it.  It was a tear full of pride in my beautiful daughter…for all she had dreamed for and accomplished through hard work and sheer determination.

M and I had quite the fun during the proceedings, let me tell you, and whispered conspiratorially about what we would do when it was Chicky’s turn to walk across the stage.

It wasn’t long before her time came, and it was with great pleasure that I hollered when her name was read.

Chicky, ever the clown, made one of her silly faces and put her hands in the air while making some sort of gesture, the kind of cool gesture that only young folks look good doing, and walked across the stage…

All the while sporting her favorite shoes…

Her soccer cleats.

It was a plan hatched by her and K, Chicky’s roommate and teammate for the last three years.

Mary, K’s bonus mom, took photographs of the girls as they walked back from the stage…

My Chicky is on the right.

Please take a moment to inspect the length of Chicky’s graduation gown.

She, being Little Miss Know-It-All, decided, when ordering her gown, that she’d better go up to a 5’6″ one because she was planning on wearing heels.

Folks, the girl is only 5’2″.

When she tried on the gown before leaving her house, it nearly reached the floor.  It was also extremely spacious around the shoulder and torso area.

It would seem that 5’6″ people are a little bigger in other places too.

What Chicky failed to realize was that no matter if she was wearing heels or not, her body would remain the same size, and that gown would hit her body in the same way it would if she were wearing heels, slides, or soccer cleats.

Please note that the women in my family aren’t exactly known for our common sense.

Ahem.

Regardless, it was a marvelous evening filled with a lot of laughter.

K’s family is precious.  Chicky is so fortunate to room with a gal who has supportive family.  I feel as though our family keeps growing with every friend Chicky invites into her life, and we are blessed for that.  K’s family treats Chicky like one of their own.

Thus, it was no surprise that we went out to eat together afterward, extra friends tagging along.

The Mr.’s parents were also at Chicky’s graduation, able to watch the first of their grandchildren obtain a post-secondary degree.

This morning, before we began our drive home, we met Chicky and K at Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  It was one last chance to see the girls; we shared a time of sweet conversation and more laughter.

I snapped photos, which Chicky agreed to with a minimal amount of complaining.

Mary, K’s bonus mom, later commented (after I texted one to her) that the girls looked older today.

Yes, they sure did.

Although Chicky has been teaching for over a month now, and K will begin working on her Masters degree in January, both girls have firmly planted their feet into the adult world.

It feels strange to say that I am the mother of a college graduate.

I don’t feel old enough, that’s for sure, and I’ve been told I don’t look old enough either (these same people have never seen me before I put on my makeup).

All I know is that I give all of the glory to God, for it wasn’t me who reared a successful child…not on my own, that is…but God’s grace that allowed me to, and for that I will forever be grateful.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Pomp and Circumstance

Posted on December 13, 2013 by auburnchick

It’s hard to believe it, but as you are reading this, I am on my way to South Florida to watch my Chicky cross a stage once again.

This time, we are honoring her as she officially graduates from college with a degree in Elementary Education.

She’s been finished for over a month and has been teaching that long as well, but this ceremony is extremely important as it provides closure to four years that went by in a flash.

It seems like only a short time ago when I bid her a very tearful farewell the first August I left her at Southeastern.

You might remember that post.

It was so difficult to watch her walk into her future, uncertainties abounding, and so many hours away from me.

She bravely took those steps and each and every one that followed.

Some were easy and fun, while others were much more difficult.

Her first semester was certainly a challenge as she adjusted to a rigorous soccer schedule and academic classes that would kick anyone’s behind.

She hung in there, faced each obstacle with grace, and finished her program a semester early.

I don’t know that I’ll cry as she accepts her diploma tonight because, unlike the tentative steps she made four years ago as she entered the unknown, she’ll be crossing the stage with confident strides…the walk of a young professional, fully prepared to do the task now in front of her.

I am so thankful for the last four years, the wonderful college where she spent them, and the people she met along the way – each day…each experience a gift from the Lord.

Chicky,

As you walk down that aisle, and as you make your way across the stage, I hope you know that I am so proud of you for finishing what you started.  You are a goal-oriented young woman and always accomplishes what you set out to do.

I am grateful for the good decisions you have made…for the promises you kept to yourself and to God…for the young adult you’ve become along the way.

I love you with all of my heart.

<3,

Mama

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Never Enough

Posted on November 29, 2013 by auburnchick

Depending on the time you are reading this, I am either getting ready to say goodbye to Chicky, or she has already headed down the road, enroute to her home in south Florida.

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you know that as our time of visiting draws near…as the days become hours…I count down.

I often post pictures, captioned with declarations of anticipation and love.

I count down every hour and minute until I am with her again.

I can picture her reading this and rolling her eyes.

She is, after all, nearly 22 years old.

I can’t help it though, for despite our roller coaster relationship, I love her dearly.

This week has been another special one for me.

As soon as she began her drive on Monday, I waited and prepared.

Once she was here, I made sure everything I did centered around her.

I did absolutely NO work…simply refused…not wanting to miss a moment with her.

There were things I needed to do…cook for Thanksgiving and clean.

Instead, I delayed my preparations so we could shop and eat lunch together.

And now, as I pen this the night before she leaves (I often schedule my posts ahead of time), I can’t help but be sad as her time of leaving draws ever closer.

It’s funny how the first part of our visits are marked with such joy, and melancholy lurks in the shadows toward the end…raring its ugly, selfish head every now and again.

Am I jealous of her life down south?

Yes.

Oh, I know she has earned the right to live life on her own, for she is now a grown up with a big-girl job…making a difference in the lives of the children she teaches and others she encounters every day.

It’s just that our time together is never enough to soothe my mama heart.

I grew up with a mother who didn’t make me feel like I was important to her.

I promised myself that I would never do this to my own children, and I hope I haven’t.

Though I haven’t mentioned Rooster, his being home right now, attending college locally, has made me incredibly happy.  My heart is a little sad as he heads to Auburn for the BIG game.  He’s hoping to score a ticket but will be in the thick of things regardless.  I’ll be counting down the minutes until he returns home.

Such is the way with me and my mama heart.

It’s a heart that can never get enough of my children…adults now and even more enjoyable than I thought possible when they were wee things.

 

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Hanging Out With My Girl

Posted on November 26, 2013 by auburnchick

Chicky’s been home for a little over a day, and if you know me at all, you know that I am probably the happiest Mama around.

Here are some pictures from our visit so far (and the prep work that went into it)…

Buying new mattresses…a horrendous ordeal that deserves its own blog post

 

Got everything ready, including the bedding that I found on clearance. The sunflowers…her favorite…were the final touch and a reminder of how much I love her.

 

Gambit and Cali are best buds…youthful energy that feeds off of each other.

 

The boots Chicky bought me…an early Christmas present because she wanted me to get a lot of use out of them. She also taught me how to put a few outfits together to best utilize the boots. #fashionnerd #dresslikeyouhavesomesense

 

Being a grandpuppy is tiring work…all that loving to endure.

 

Pampering at the nail salon. Chicky got a much-needed pedicure and manicure. I went back later to get a jump start on my Christmas nail art.

I know that Friday will arrive much too quickly, and I’ll be saying goodbye before I’m ready (I’ll never be ready, by the way).

Until then, I’m planning on enjoying every last second with my sweet, precious child.

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Another Young Life Cut Short

Posted on November 18, 2013 by auburnchick

As I attempt to sleep, snuggled under the covers with my puppies tucked in beside me, I find the sought-after rest eluding me.

Yesterday afternoon, I learned that a young lady Chicky attended elementary school with was killed in a car accident early yesterday morning.

She was the passenger. Early reports say that the car that hit hers was driving in the wrong direction.

When I saw the story on Facebook and read the young woman’s name, I was transported back…to a time of innocence…when school homework involved reading for thirty minutes, and parents scrambled to help the children put together dreaded science fair projects.

Play dates were the order of business after school and helped bridge the transition from school to home.

Moms got to know each other while chaperoning classroom parties, field trips, book fairs, and PTA meetings.

This was the backdrop of Chicky’s friendship with the young woman who lost her life yesterday.

Though it’s been over ten years since I saw this young lady…she, a mere child at the time, her face comes to mind easily.

I remember her dark, wavy hair and shy demeanor. Her younger brother was even more shy than she was!

Her mom was very involved in her children’s lives…hands-on…just as I was. Our love for our children drew us together, and though we moved away, I never forgot this family and thought about them periodically.

Oh, how my heart hurts for them right now.

The picture in the news article, gleaned from the young lady’s Facebook account, shows a beautiful woman, all grown up.

I don’t know what the intervening years brought her, but her picture reveals a love for life.

As I lay my head down, I am reminded that a family is going to bed without being able to say goodnight to the joy of their lives.

What sadness.

I want to put my arms around my own babies and thank the Lord for each day I can tell them I love them.

Please pray for this family and the difficult days to follow. The drivers of both cars were critically injured and need prayers. The driver of the other car, while at fault, needs prayers for forgiveness.

May God’s angels minister to all affected by this tragedy, and may we never take our children or the time we are given with them for granted.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

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