Grow (Five Minute Friday)

Welcome to Five Minute Friday (which seldom happens on Friday for me) where we get a prompt from Kate, write for 5 minutes on whatever it is (edit free - my favorite part because typos are allowed) and then link up (here) and share our writing and encourage others writing in the community.

GROW

(note: I started this post twice. Once on Thursday night and again on Friday. Each time I made it one sentence before something needed my attention and I didn't even manage to squeeze in 5 minutes. So ... third time is a charm?)

We had 2 days of sunshine in a row. HOORAY - we are tired of stereotypical Pacific northwest weather around these parts. 17 days in a row was enough, thank you very much. Except it returns tomorrow. SIGH.

Rain is so needed - to help the plants grow, to help the pollen get out of the air (you are welcome allergy sufferers), to keep the creeks full and the fish happy and such. And yet, too much rain can ruin the very things it is trying to help. Trees get soggy roots and the ground is soft and then they fall over. Creeks flood and the fish are out of the banks and then when the waters recede, the fish can be stranded. Unless someone comes along to put the fish back, it could wither and die on the bank.

And so I've been thinking about how it is with people. Experiences and circumstances help us to grow - moving to a new place, or starting a new job, or even having an argument with a friend. A little at a time, even a steady diet of growth is useful and teaches much. But if you get too much - if you get a monsoon, or a flood, then sometimes the things that keep you grounded come unglued. Your patience for handling conflict - it snaps and then you say words you regret. And then when the rain clears, you are caught like the fish - in the dry pocket. No apparent way back.

If you're lucky, someone will come along and pick you back up - toss you back in the stream and you can swim again.

Today, I had the chance to reflect. Some dear friends of mine have been my "fish rescue squad" and I am thankful that they could bridge the gap from my dry landing zone and whooosh me back into the stream for my next adventure.

STOP.

The Extra Mommas

We do a really, really good job at celebrating the moms in our lives for Mother's Day. My mom is one of the most amazing women I know, and I am so thankful for the blood, sweat, tears, and love that she poured into my brother and me.  I also had two incredible grandmothers who lived until I was well into my 20's and a great grandmother that I was lucky enough to share close to 11 years with.

My girls have me, my mom, their other grandma, and now also a stepmom and a step grandma, and we love them and teach them and encourage their little hearts to grow into big hearts. That's a lot of great mom power loving on my kiddos.

But as I sit here tonight, I am thinking of the not-mom moms that my girlies have as well. The aunts, and the almost aunts. The baseball aunts and the neighbor aunts and the church aunts. We don't call them all aunt, but that is the role they fill ... and in my view aunts are just as important as moms. These ladies didn't give birth to my girls but they love them as if they did.    They often have special names ... and those of you who don't have a special name yet ... just wait. You will.

You love on my kids and hug on them and teach them. You listen to them talk and ask a million questions. You answer them patiently, sometimes long after my patience has run out. You share laps and nachos and ice cream cones and popcorn. You share laughter and hugs and tears and smiles. You share baseballs and pencils and bobbleheads and blankets and rain delays. You carpool and give snacks. You teach them Bible verses and you demonstrate compassion. You cheer their success and you encourage where they fall short.  You put your actions where your words are and your heart where your actions are ... and you make the words "it takes a village" ring true in my life every day.

Single mom mode is hard. And you all step up to the plate every day to make it easier. To fill in where I can't and to supplement even what I can ... to help my girls become better little people everyday. Because of you, our lives are richly blessed in ways I never could have imagined.  

THANK YOU. 

To you: Miss Michelle, Aunt Michele, Miss Lisa, Angry Piggy, My Little Pony Lady, Mrs "Mr England", Butterfly Glasses Lady, Miss Kristy, Miss Keyona, Miss Anna, Miss Dianna, Miss Lisa, Aunt Lisa, Aunt Caron, Aunt Betsy, Aunt Linda, Miss Melissa, Miss Kathleen, Miss Beth, Aunt Jill, Miss Jocelyn, Miss Dorie, Miss Julee, Miss Julie of the gross orange shoes, Miss Virginia Beach Stefanie, Miss Tammy, Aunt Erika, Miss MaryAnn the cat lover, Miss Trader Jennifer, Miss Lainey, Miss Laurie, "the other" Miss Laurie, Miss Susan with the great hair, Miss Renie, the dance Miss Leslie ...  

and to the countless other women that I failed to list here:  to you who love my children EVERY SINGLE DAY  ... from the bottom of my heart, Happy Not-mom Mother's Day to you. I celebrate and salute you.