October 11, 2011

Wow, what a week! I've been busy promoting the business, getting the kids to and from school, doing classes, cleaning, cooking, well, you get the picture. The highlight of my week, however, was Saturday afternoon and evening. It started at five o'clock when my adult and teen dance ministries presented two dances at a neighborhood church. It was so awesome to see my older two sons and two of the female teens present a piece that addresses useless teen violence and being ready for your time, no matter when that is. The music was "Chariots" by Brian McKnight (see below) and they truly touched some hearts during their presentation. The adults were equally inspiring as the danced to Angie Winans' version of "The Lord's Prayer". From there, my sons and I went to a friend's house to spend an evening playing "Michael Jackson" and "Just Dance 2" on the Wii. My friend's mother was in town visiting and so there was a house full of people, adults and kids, playing and laughing, scarfing pizza and sodas and just basically having a good time. It was so much fun and I felt truly blessed to be included as "one of the family" for the night.

There is nothing like friends and family. When my kids were younger and I wasn't so single, I used to have "dates" with my kids individually and as a family. Once a month, each child had a morning or afternoon or sometimes, we could only squeeze in a few hours, with just me. Walks, trips to the mall, breakfast, a movie - all my undivided attention on him or her and all his or hers on me. Those are moments I wouldn't trade for the world. Sometimes, it meant a work deadline was a little late or I didn't get that extra hour of sleep, but the joy of a smile, a laugh, a shared inside joke, a tear, a compromise.....to coin the phrase "priceless".

In this time of our rush-rush, hurry-hurry, microwave society, sometimes we forget to stop and see the people around us that we are "working for", "sacrificing for", "taking care of". Start small, take 5 minutes each week for the special ones in your life. Jot a sticky note of thanks, turn off the cell phone and tell a joke or listen to really bad one, share a cup of coffee, make a memory. When everything is said and done, over and gone, those are things that will carry on.

My friend told me that her doctor once asked her "If you had twenty-four hours left to live, what are the five things you would do in that time?" I know what I would do, what would you do?