On Christmas Eve, we went to the Candlelight Service and then spent the evening with our good friends at their traditional get together. The kids are all older now, so the excitement level at opening presents is less. The thankfulness for the gifts is a little more though! Two of the kids are out of college, one is in college, two will graduate from high school this year and the other three still have several years to go. We are older now. Wiser? I hope so, but I am not sure.
It is bittersweet. The kids laugh. We all do. But in the back of my mind I wonder how long will our little get togethers on Christmas Eve really last? College, marriage, grandkids. Change will inevitably come. I am not ready for it yet. However, I know that God will help me when the time comes.
It is not that I do not want them to grow up, I do. I want them to have great careers, great marriages, strong Christian lives. But the moments of all of us sleeping under the same roof will end and that makes me a little sad.
My goal this year is to enjoy EVERY moment. Avery will graduate and move off to college. Ashlyn will become a senior in high school. Life is moving on. I am so thankful for the years we have had and the things we have shared. As things change, I ask God to help me adjust, help me embrace this with all that I am. Help me to see the positive and dwell in the possibilities of the future.
Happy New Year. Blessing to you and yours.
Beth
Ah, yes, they DO grow; things DO change. I try to remember the precious times of each different phase without getting stuck back there. Hard to do, sometimes. BUT, each new day seems to provide memories of its own. I just forget to watch for them. I miss YOU. Let's have lunch. SOON
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