Sunday, May 18, 2014

Military Life

We woke too early, the sun had not yet risen.
The alarm told us harshly what we already knew.
It was time to go.
It was time to say Good-bye.

I hug my Marine tightly.
He hugs our little girl just one more time. 
She says, "Daddy go trip."
Then asks, "Daddy be home soon?"

We survive the first day but already miss his presence.
As soon as Daddy leaves something has to break.
The garage door quits working and the weed eater quickly follows suit.
The jogging stroller tire goes flat and garbage disposal is making a funny sound.

A few more days pass and we settle into a routine.
My Zoe girl is back to singing.
Her nonstop chatter is my favorite sound.
We play patty cake, and color in books. We smile and eat ice cream.

The routine grows normal but the house is empty.
Zoe says she misses Daddy and hugs her teddy tight.
She crawls into my lap to snuggle.
I wrap her in my arms and kiss her little head.

We venture out on each new day, we have to live our life.
Zoe sees another Marine and looks at me with great big eyes.
Hang in there little one, he's not your Daddy.
The Marine smiles and gives her high five.

We make a calender and cross off days.
Zoe counts them as they pass.
She gets her phone and plays pretend.
She tells Daddy everything he is missing.

I miss him too my Zoe Bug.
I wish he were home safe each night.
Daddy misses us just as much.
He wants to see you grow.

Others will see us and ask how we're doing.
The answer is always, "We're fine."
Military families are built from the heart.
Ours is no exception.

Some days I'm stronger than others.
There are lots of days we play and we laugh.
There are some days it hurts so much I cry.
I know it's alright.

For many, military is just a word.
For me it is my life.
I am proud of my Marine, he choose to serve our country.
Our path may not be easy but it is what we know.

The day will come when he comes home.
My arms will fly wide open.
He'll pick up our little girl and spin her around.
Tears will slip down my cheek.

Until that day comes, my prayer is simply this.
Protect us Lord, as we're apart. Be our strength and our shield.
Teach us to grow as we press on. 
Strengthen our love, increase our heart.









Monday, May 5, 2014

Lent

I am not catholic nor do I know any of the history or tradition associated with Lent.  You are probably asking yourself why indeed I am writing about such a subject.  It is simply this.  I want to share my experience with you. 

The Sunday before Ash Wednesday our church encouraged us to give up something for Lent.  Jake and I came home and talked about whether or not we wanted to participate in this church wide challenge and if so what in the world were we going to give up.  We quickly ruled out food options. Lots of people give up sweets or soda but we decided that if we were going to do this challenge we wanted to give up something that we could look back on at the end of 40 days and say yes that made a difference in my life.  We wanted to do something that wasn't necessarily easy for us to give up but at the same time we knew that if we made it too complicated or demanding we wouldn't stick to it.

What we came up with was this.  We gave up wasting time via the Internet. We still checked email and facebook.  I still looked up a recipe here and there but we did not linger on the Internet cruising the latest news headlines or following those ever so tempting pinterest links.  I then began to use the down time I had, primarily during Z's nap but also after her bed time, to read my Bible.  In less than a week I had finished Genesis and Exodus and was well into Leviticus.  The reality check was setting in hard about just how much time I spend on the Internet.  I had made the decision a long time ago not to be on the Internet while Z was awake but I hadn't realized how much of her sleep time I was wasting. 

I don't think the Internet is a bad thing and I will continue to use it often but the reality check that I walked away with was amazing.  I will be more intentional with my time and I will not let it waste away.  Participating in Lent this year didn't make me a better person but walking away from it knowing I am making a change in my life for the better of myself, my family, and my friends is more than worth it.