A LIttle Thankful Goes A Long Way

So often, I get up in the morning to my quiet house (yes, once all of your children are in double digits, the house often is quiet in the very early morning hours!), listen to MY music, work on chores, and have a little quiet time to just think while doing those routine chores.

I often have nice thoughts at that time of the morning... thankful thoughts! Usually by mid afternoon, my mindset is a bit more harried. The only thankful thought I might have at that point is when I open the cupboard to see that I do indeed still have some of my favorite green tea left in there to get me through the day!

One recent morning, I grabbed a piece of paper while I was in the middle of those "thankful" thoughts. These particular thoughts were directed toward my husband. I knew it was going to be a crazy long day and that those thoughts would be soon lost, so I wanted to capture them. In that little moment I wrote a thank you note to my husband- nothing that significant. Just thanking him for some of the special things he had done that he might have thought went unnoticed.

It is not that I never thank my husband- I do. But for whatever reason, coming home to that note on his desk that afternoon (I was gone on a late field trip with all the kids) really touched him.

I am not sure why I chose to put my thoughts in writing that moment (maybe the Holy Spirit?), but I am so glad that I did. It was such a little thing with very little effort on my part, yet Frank mentioned that note several times- always with a smile and a wink (he mentioned it in front of my daughter, and she thought that wink must have meant I had written something slightly personal. Not so).

I read somewhere that gratitude unshared is liking buying and wrapping a present but never giving it... I'm inspired to share my gratitude even more.

Feeling truly thankful!  

32 Years...

It looks like we made it... for 32 years!! :) 

The "milestone" anniversaries that we have passed all seemed to come with other major events, so while we have celebrated together, we have never celebrated our anniversary with all of our children. 

This year we went to morning mass at our local parish and renewed our vows. Thirty-two is an odd year to do that, I know, but this is a quiet year (as of now), so we grabbed the opportunity. If this looks like more like a classroom than a church- it is. The side classroom doubles as a chapel during the week. The setting may not have been romantic, but the moment surely was. 

Then we headed off to breakfast together. All together! This was a hard won picture- it may not win any awards, but everyone is (more or less) looking at that camera! 

A few days ago, I shared a few thoughts last week on our marriage (toward the bottom of the post) as well as a "before picture" of Frank and I. We were practically babies! Eee gads. 

Happy Feast Day of John Bosco (a day late)!!! 

So many thoughts...

This weekend my daughter was off in our 15 passenger van to drive her friends to the BART station (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and then take that up to the city for the Walk for Life. I am at once elated at this generation of people who value life, and yet discouraged as FB friends express their dismay that these young people seen at the walk don't understand how hard fought this "right" for women is. They claim that without this "choice" women would be dying in illegal abortion clinics... it is their right to do with their body what they wish.

I wish these vocal FB women- ones who I suspect have not had an abortion (the women I know who have are usually very angry in their arguments or very sad)- would see the love of all life that we on the pro-life side, and especially these young people, have. Their love extends not only to the unborn, but to the mothers in crisis- the ones who have chosen abortion and the ones thinking about it. They have compassion for the hurt and loss these women feel.

I feel a special empathy for these women. As so many women that I know, I have had several miscarriages at all stages of development. I have held these little lost lives in my hand- each one different. Some looking like a little tadpole with arms just budding out, others more fully developed. Our little boy that we lost 7 years ago this month fit in the palm of my hand, yet he had all of his little parts- I even laughed a little after he was born when I realized that I really could tell he is a boy! His name is *Mathew by the way- spelled that way because my husband spelled it wrong, which also makes me laugh a little every time we visit the place he is buried. My compassion comes from understanding this loss. Some may say these women chose this- I say that they did not know. They couldn't have known. I can only imagine their suffering to be far greater than mine. And so, I feel a bond with them and a love and hope for healing.

This month is not only the month that we lost our little boy, but also the month that my husband and I celebrate our anniversary. As we approach our 32nd, I have been giving a lot of thought to our marriage. I would say that our marriage is successful in a very real way. I would attempt to glorify it, but on the off chance that one of my children read this, I'd be busted as being a fraud. We are the most human of couples- I always imagined reaching this point in life and having a deep rooted maturity. Not so, I regret to say. At our worst, we are no more mature than the average toddler. Fits are had, arguments take place, expectations rule the day... but we keep trying.

Years ago, my husband went to a mass that happened to have a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary. The husband was asked what the success to his marriage was due to. His answer was that couples are told that marriage is a 50/50 deal. He, on the other hand, felt that each person should give 100% to the marriage. That way, when one of the couple was not able to give his or her full portion, there is still enough to go around. Much of the success in our marriage comes, I believe, from my husband taking those words to heart. For so many years, through many trials and hardships, he has carried the 100% on his back- without complaint. Truly. And without keeping score. I am blessed.

Yup, that's us! :) 

*Mathew is a correct spelling- just not that way we had planned on spelling his name. :) 

31 Years!

My daughter posted this on Facebook today... I love it. :)