Long before I had children of my own I used to marvel at how mothers
could wear their children's tacky painted maccaroni necklaces into
work. Certainly it wasn't professional. It wasn't even color
coordinated to their outfit. With peeling paint and big fuzzy yarn they
were just plain ugly.
I never understood how otherwise nicely dressed professional young mothers could do it... until I had children of my own.
Earlier this week my daughter placed a bracelett on my wrist as I was getting dressed. It wasn't so much a bracelett as a popped balloon tied in a knot and slipped around my wrist. We were in a hurry so I promised her I would wear it all day and off we went to the sitter so I could get to work.
After I dropped them off and headed into the office I glanced down at my wrist. I smiled thinking about how serious she was that I wear it all day long. But I knew it wouldn't happen that way. It wasn't practical, and I had a lot of work to do. I was going to take it off as soon as I sat at my desk.
I wasn't there too long before the terrible day started. My entire staff was laid off. Every one. Each with years of experience and dedication to our organization, let go over the span of a day.
I glanced at the bracelett again, which I had yet to take off. I'm so glad I still have a job for my family I thought as I looked at my daughter's bracelett.
Later in the afternoon more depressing news. A woman I only vaguely knew but knew well enough to know that she had three young boys called up and told me that her husband had been in the hospital since mid-July with lukemia.
I glanced again at the purple rubber bracelett. I am so blessed that my family is healthy.
For the rest of the day as news only grew bleaker, I kept glancing at the bracelett. The silly, broken rubber balloon was a constant reminder of the blessings I had at home.
In the end it's not about the appearance of the necklace, bracelett, or whatever it is your child brings home from school at the end of the day. It's not even the effort that you know they put into it, making it especially for you. It's the reminder, the constant reminder that we have so much and are so blessed to have them in our lives.
So wear your peeled paint maccaroni and yarn necklaces with pride, moms & dads. And remember each and every moment how precious life is.
I never understood how otherwise nicely dressed professional young mothers could do it... until I had children of my own.
Earlier this week my daughter placed a bracelett on my wrist as I was getting dressed. It wasn't so much a bracelett as a popped balloon tied in a knot and slipped around my wrist. We were in a hurry so I promised her I would wear it all day and off we went to the sitter so I could get to work.
After I dropped them off and headed into the office I glanced down at my wrist. I smiled thinking about how serious she was that I wear it all day long. But I knew it wouldn't happen that way. It wasn't practical, and I had a lot of work to do. I was going to take it off as soon as I sat at my desk.
I wasn't there too long before the terrible day started. My entire staff was laid off. Every one. Each with years of experience and dedication to our organization, let go over the span of a day.
I glanced at the bracelett again, which I had yet to take off. I'm so glad I still have a job for my family I thought as I looked at my daughter's bracelett.
Later in the afternoon more depressing news. A woman I only vaguely knew but knew well enough to know that she had three young boys called up and told me that her husband had been in the hospital since mid-July with lukemia.
I glanced again at the purple rubber bracelett. I am so blessed that my family is healthy.
For the rest of the day as news only grew bleaker, I kept glancing at the bracelett. The silly, broken rubber balloon was a constant reminder of the blessings I had at home.
In the end it's not about the appearance of the necklace, bracelett, or whatever it is your child brings home from school at the end of the day. It's not even the effort that you know they put into it, making it especially for you. It's the reminder, the constant reminder that we have so much and are so blessed to have them in our lives.
So wear your peeled paint maccaroni and yarn necklaces with pride, moms & dads. And remember each and every moment how precious life is.
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