Luminous Cross

Yesterday, I was flat. Moving the laundry from the washer to the dryer, from the dryer to the couch to begin the hard slog of folding, I just felt empty. Two weeks of not writing had left me wondering (as I am neurotic this way), could I write, was writing what I should do?  Or was it an exercise in ego that took me away from my main vocation, parenting these ten children? 

So I told God, "I need to know YOUR will.  I know Mary obeyed perfectly, so she got an angel to tell her directly what God's plan was.  I don't merit an angel, but I'm stupid and stubborn so I need a big NEON sign on a Silver Platter, what do you want me to do?"  Then I folded the clothes, dealt with a sulking teen because Wendy's messed up his order and so all he got was fries (mine), convinced a reluctant 10 year old to do math and an 8 year old to read, did the dishes and picked up school supplies for the new high school student who was hyperventilating over 3 ring binders.   When we got back from the Popsicle social (swimming lessons were to follow but got canceled due to thunderstorms), I checked my email. 

There was a Neon sign on a silver platter.  1) The Arch Diocese was considering my application to be a writer for them and 2) Museitup publishing sent me a contract for THE BOOK OF HELEN.  I owe God some serious knee time in thanks and gratitude, 1) because I'm very happy and grateful and 2) because He took my silly demand for a overt message seriously.   I'm glad He humors my impatience. 
But He expects reciprocity from me.  

To celebrate, I got to change two diapers, my teen said, "That's nice. I have homework." and the other said, "Stop calling people and help me pack for school."  So I did.   My younger children wanted to throw a party, so today, we're making a cake and I may get balloons and champagne.  

Back when I was in graduate school, my advisor asked, "How will you keep from being seduced by academia?" as I detailed my dream of running an inner city school for students with special needs that provided real services, cleaning for low income housing, home repair, landscaping and a soup kitchen.   Being a smartalec, I responded, "That's my husband and children's job."  I don't know why I said children, as at the time I had one.  But God understood and essentially said, "Okay, that's your path to holiness."  and graciously gave me this luminous cross.  

So today, I'm celebrating....and getting more school uniforms, a lunch bag to replace the one that's broken, and I have to stop by the doctor's for medical records and have reached critical mass on the dry cleaning...so in the midst of triumph, it will still all be very real.  

Thanks for sharing in my joy! Now I have to get to the real work.

The Good News Is...

I've been a bit heavy lately, lots on my mind and this is where I process it, so it's time for a bit of levity.

Raising children, you always get yin with yang, salt with pepper, half cheese, half pepperoni. There is always a bisection of everything from dinner to chores to boys and girls.  Whenever there is good news (potty trained), there is bad news --you now must hunt out every bathroom within a 10 mile radius of home that is tolerable, and you must be able to disengage your toddler from the carseat to the approved (by her) bathroom within 50 seconds of the first cry, "Mommmmm.  I have to go to the bathroom."  for the near forseeable future.  

Examples:

Good News: Your daughter does not throw like a girl.
Bad News: The carrots are on the second story ledge of the living room.

Good News: Kid can now get up and get themselves drinks of water in the middle of the night.
Bad News: Bathroom looks like after hours at a Honky Tonk Bar. 

Good News: Child just passed their driver's test.
Bad News: You now have to sometimes surrender your keys and a two to three ton machine to this person.

Good News: Your child has learned to tell time.
Bad News: He now knows when it isn't bed time.

Good News: To foster a love of history, you plan a summer of visiting historical sites.
Bad News: You will have to drag your children to a summer of historical sites until the love takes hold.

Good News: Two of your children have taken up jogging. Two others are considering it.
Bad News: They expect you to come along.

Good News: Kid got into expensive college that by name dropping makes you look like a stud of a parent.
Bad News: You now will live on Ramen noodles and baloney sandwiches to fund being able to drop that name.

Good News: Your daughter just made the elite traveling softball team.
Bad News: You must fork over 400 dollars and agree to sell cookies on the 4th of July in addition to schlepping an hour North, South, East, West for the next twelve weeks for games plus two practices during the week and one on weekends.

Good News: the cluttered schedule of the day has been cancelled because of rain.
Bad News: Some other day that will be even more inconvenient, shall be sacrificed in its stead.

Invent your own in the comments box!