Yin and Yang

Life with Lucy got a bit interesting yesterday.   Never a dull moment with a toddler, right?  So, our day involved a fire truck, a police officer and an ambulance, and no, we were not at some fall festival where it was “police day.”  Here is the story…

We were outside playing, when Lucy took a fall in her Little Tikes plastic wagon.   Initially I didn’t think much of it; she falls all the time.  I ran to pick her up, and asked her if she was okay.  My nonchalant attitude quickly changed when she did not respond to me and had a dazed look in her eyes.  Before I knew it, she had fallen into a cradled position in my arms, her eyes rolled back in her head, and her entire body became rigid.  I began running into the house to call 911 (never mind that my cell phone was in my pocket).  She regained consciousness rather quickly, but I still called 911 as she was pale with bluish lips.  Before I knew it, the entire entourage was at my house.  (I am not sure why they sent the fire truck?)  It seems that Lucy fell in just the right “sweet spot” (in her diaphragm area) and knocked the wind out of herself.   I learned that because young children breathe at a much more rapid rate than adults, they can pass out more quickly trying to catch their breath. The public servants who came to my house to help were terrific (all 15 of them!). They reassured this neurotic mom and made sure our sweet Lucy was okay….which she was. 

So, I can write about this casually now, as the ending to the story is a good one.  But at the time, there was nothing casual or easy about the situation.  After I had time to process it all, I realized that this was one of those situations where I wanted to call my Mom…not only during, but after, just to process it and talk about it.  There are just some things that you need your Mom for... 

But another thought I had was how life has a way of balancing itself out.  Bad things happen all the time, but if you look, you can find goodness follows right behind.   In this instance, Lucy fell, got hurt, but got to see an ambulance in her driveway, and ended up having a positive experience with medical professionals in her own house.  For me, I witnessed my child helpless and hurt, but I got through it and realized that these situations where I always thought I would need my Mom... I did okay with out her.  And on a larger more general scale, even though life has been difficult as of late, goodness has followed right behind, not allowing the difficult to dominate.   The beauty of fall, and all the wonderful activities that go along with it, have provided our family with just the balance that we need. 

Thank goodness for balance.

Lobenstein Farm

 St. Leon, Indiana

 

Young's Jersey Farm 

Yellow Springs, Ohio

 

 

From Mom

Maybe some of you have noticed that in the "contributors" section of my blog (off to the right) there are two names.   The obvious one--my name-- needs no explanation.  The other--Grammy--maybe does.   Originally, I added my Mom so that if for some reason I couldn't access my blog in China, she could write for me.   As time went by, it wasn't necessary for her to continue to have access to the blog, but I never wanted to change it.  And then, she died...  And I made the conscious choice to leave her name there, as I have always felt that in many ways she continues to guide me and inspire me with my words.

I try to be open to what I should write about; usually it comes to me and I know what it is I am supposed to say.  Maybe it comes to me from God, or the Holy Spirit...Or maybe it comes to me from my Mom.

Well, today, it happened again.  I wasn't planning to blog.  But then it just came to me, and it was quite clear that I was supposed to write, and it was quite clear what I was supposed to write about.  And there was no doubt who the source of my inspiration was.

And what it is, is this:

Happy Birthday, Lisa...from Mom.

Today is my sister's birthday.  I know it is a tough day for her as it is her first without my Mom.  It is an overwhelming feeling, I am sure, to try to celebrate a day where one of the people responsible for you being here...is not here.

But knowing Mom, and what a big advocate she was of celebrating special occasions, I think she would want for nothing else than you, Lisa, to have a wonderful day.  She would want you to be happy, and celebrate.  I am sure it is what Mom is wanting for you.   And if you are having trouble, just remember the joy and happiness we all felt that day last week when we came to your school to visit.  It is that joy that Mom wants for you...most especially today. 

And so it goes, why I have never taken her name off the blog....and never will.

Happy Birthday Lisa!  We Love You!!!

Normal.

In the business of life, sometimes we forget to appreciate the blessing of normalcy, of routine...maybe you could even say the blessing of the boring and mundane.   It is only after something happens to disrupt the calm, that we wish for what we had.  And so goes the story of our family.   This year has been very rocky, with family death and illness.  And with the holidays right around the corner, and many more "firsts" without my Mom quickly approaching, my goal is to try to embrace and appreciate the moments...the minutes... the days... when everything is simple and normal. 

Prayer for a Normal Day

Normal day,

let me be aware of the treasure you are.

Let me learn from you, love you,

bless you before you depart.

Let me not pass by in quest

of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

Let me hold you while I may,

for it may not always be so.

One day I shall dig my nails into the earth,

or bury my face in the pillow,

or stretch myself taut,

or raise my hands to the sky and want,

more than all the world, your return.

Mary Jean Iron

Thankfully, we have had some recent opportunities to appreciate the (extra) ordinary....

The Annual Sunflower Festival at Gorman Farm.

 Lucy and I's adventure to "Barn-n-Bunk"...

Shaw Farm with our MOPS friends...