My arms are nearly numb as I write this…a not-so-subtle reminder of the glorious fun I had with my children on this Mother’s Day. Matthew is 2 months shy of being 21 and Zech will turn 13 in 10 more days. The past 10 months have been my respite from having a teen in the home before I start all over again.
I told my sons, “The only gift I want this Mother’s Day is the gift of time with my babies.”
Matt came over from his apartment this morning and the three of us went to church together. What an incredible blessing listening to my 6’3” son worshipping & singing “Blessed be the name of the Lord…” and “Almighty God in every way you are above & beyond understanding, if we did not praise the rocks would cry out…” {I’m amused to interject that Zech later told me the reason he didn’t sing much this morning was because I was singing the “wrong notes”…unaccustomed to the beauty of harmony, my son thought I was singing off-key”!} I sat between the boys in church and because our row was rather crowded, I felt them both with my elbows on each side. I thanked God for claustrophobia & spiritual bliss at having them both worshipping the Living Lord with me.
After church I talked to my mother on the phone…this day could never pass without grateful acknowledgment of her sacrifices & influence in my life as well as in my own parenting. While the boys cooked out on the grill, I busied myself making strawberry shortcake. It was a simple meal with lemonade, laughter and light conversation. .
Soon we were off to tour of Matt’s new place, a whopping 3 miles from home but it means the world to him that he is on his own. We laughed that his room is cleaner than Zech’s and mine, and his DVD collection is alphabetized! I’m still trying to figure out how he convinced me to pet Dexter, his albino boa constrictor…slimy creature creeped me out!
So, about the numb arms…I suggested to the boys that we go rock wall climbing together. I think they perceived they would do the climbing while the adoring mom recorded memories on digital camera. They both seemed surprised when I corrected them… “There will be 3 climbers”. I watched both guys take a turn, seemed simple enough. Matt taught me how to tie knots & to belay while Zech captured the Kodak moments. They coached me through my first climb and I was surprised how quickly I found myself at the top of the wall. I barely broke a sweat. Later Zech burst my bubble by telling me it was one of the easiest patterns in the building.
We took turns climbing progressively harder layouts until at one point I was convinced I could make it on a really tough climb. Zech armed with the video camera, Matt on belay. In no time I was dangling through the air from a fall and laughing my tail off. I tried to convince Matt to lower me down, “This is too hard, I’m done”. But he would have none of it. He convinced me to try again and so I pushed.
Eventually I got nearly all the way to the top, but my arms were giving out and my legs felt like soup. “Okay, close enough, I can’t make it…lower me down”. “Nope” came the reply, “you can do this”. I struggled til I thought I would pass out. I complained vehemently. Still Matt would not let me quit. Zech ran out of film on the video camera. I was painfully aware that a host of young people below were all starring at “the old broad”.
I desperately wanted to get down and even more desperately wanted to make it to the top just barely beyond my reach. After several minutes more, engaging in some serious self-trash talk, I eventually stood victorious at the top of the wall! Zech was so proud of me he snapped a photo on his cell phone to record my accomplishment.
Exhausted from several hours spent there, I craved a good rib house before heading home to put up my feet. I had invited my two “other children” over for dinner but since I heard no reply, I figured they had other plans. Their message on my cell phone asking, “When is dinner?” prompted a second wind.
I hadn’t spent time with Seth & Lindsey Smith since they came to get his belongings last fall after the World Series {I was his host Mom}. After promising homemade chicken strips, I had to deliver.
Six pounds of chicken were consumed with no leftovers, while we talked about families & sports , work, health and orthodontics. Funny to watch Seth cringe as Lindsey described her pain from root canal…a 190 pound guy wilting into shudders. Zech regaled us with stories of his first football season. Matt talked about his favorite rock bands. After dinner Lindsey enlisted Seth to help her wash dishes while I cleaned up the rest of the kitchen. Seth shared how his experiences in the World Series paved the way for several opportunities to speak & preach. I loved seeing his face light up as he spoke. Lindsey mentioned that the Lord has been using her to share her faith with other players’ wives, so we chatted about that as Seth coached Zech on the fine art of push-ups.
What a wonderful time of fellowship! Too soon we exchanged goodbye hugs but not before I snapped a few pictures of all my “kids” together.
At the end of this day Matt & I reclined on the sofa sharing our thoughts about relationships & politics & the possibility of a draft. As he spoke, I wondered, “Does he have any idea how proud I am of the man he is becoming?” I’m proud of my boys & I thank God every day that I’m their Mother.
I’m retiring to bed with sore muscles and achy arms but a very full heart. This Mother’s Day I got exactly what I had longed for…time with my babies.
Livin4Jesus 