Some good ol' Reflection

I have posted a couple of old stories I had written some time ago.   These stories written in trying to capture some emotions I must surely have been feeling as one realizes how time can so quickly and cruelly steal moments away from you that you take for granted.
I find myself thinking, when did I last play Barbies with my daughter and then realized we hadn't played again?  When was the last time our children built a fort together in the woods and called us to take a look?   With the children all grown; our youngest 17, it's not just those events anymore, I get a little worried when I stop to wonder when I last swam in a lake or skated on a pond, or went on a long bike ride...I'm a little worried about growing old because I've forgotten how to play!  I did remember last winter to hop onto the toboggan and take a run down the big hill close to my house and I'm glad I did...what a great feeling and it takes me back to some great times at Gardenhill and Elizabethville!

What I have to realize and focus on is that there are many opportunities for such play even yet and not let any more time go by wondering but rather making these things happen.  Of course my 17 year old isn't going to be playing Barbies any time soon again but I'm sure going to get that bicycle out and take it for a spin before the snow flies and will dust off my skates and be sure to take a glide on the ice this winter...I don't want to let "age" steal my fun away ever, so a big raspberry to giving up and a thumbs up to more play time!

Motherhood: The Job of a Lifetime; A lifetime Job

Motherhood: The job of a lifetime

By Cathy Nevin

So Mother’s Day is close at hand and what might I have

to say about being a mother? I admit that my mother

did tell me there would be "days like these," and yet

there into the realm of motherhood I went. I have an

abundance of stories from so many joyous moments and

occasions, but there too are the moments of sheer

frustration spent pondering the life of a carefree

single woman.

I’ve come to learn there is no lack of learning

opportunities that come with each stage of mothering.

The infant stage, draining but truly amazing as this

little person suddenly takes notice of your every move

and responds to you with that first wonderful smile

that energizes even the most fatigued of souls.

Toddlers—run run run—the world is so new to them they

can’t decide what to do and for how long to do it, so

you debate an afternoon nap or early bedtime and

wonder if your toddler will join you. With

preschoolers you rediscover the wonders of the world,

when what seems incredibly mundane to you is

incredibly amazing to them. With the school age child

you learn how to allow them to discover independence

and self-assurance, all the while ready to jump in and

help. Every age has its most memorable moments both

for the difficulty and the splendour of it all.

In our household, we’re not far from being a home full

of teenagers, at the ages of 18, 16 and 12 (officially

a preteen!). Yes, the dreaded teenagers! Each of them

like photo paper first entering the developer tray,

knowing generally what the picture is all about but

greatly anticipating just exactly how it will look

once fully developed. These three children are quite

diverse in their personalities and at times that can

certainly lead to conflict, while also more positively providing Dad and Mom with a continuing education of sorts. The fierce heart-pounding beat of a well-developed drummer playing a full set has given us the ability to be more tolerant and has led to a greater appreciation of the coordination skills it takes to play the drums. Our in-house theatre apprentice has re-educated us in the verse of William Shakespeare, while amazing us in his ability to speak it as eloquently as if it were his native tongue. Our youngest, enjoying the world of Equine, fast becomes very knowledgeable in the finer details of horsemanship and tacks her majestic steed with the greatest of ease.

I know as much as I have to teach my children, I have

most assuredly learned from them. While the learning

can be very trying (on both accounts, I’m certain)

given the chance I would not choose to miss any of it.

The greatest and most honourable role I will have in

my lifetime will be the role of Mom.

jcnevin@eagle.ca

By Cathy Nevin

August 18th, 2006

On this the day of my (our) 22^nd wedding anniversary I have to ponder my own question…Are we there yet?  And after all these years look to clarify just where THERE is?

Is it just me or do we always seem to be headed for a destination other than where we are?  I’m not talking about a location you could pinpoint on a map, but rather a place in time…that place as parents, people in general we are hoping to get to on the imagined map of our lives.

Do we ever really arrive and how do we know if we have?  With or without the added adventure of raising children anyone may keep a mindful sense of whether or not we are travelling along a well groomed highway with a specific direction or we are taking numerous little sidetrips on the not so obvious  backroads meandering their way along.

We ask ourselves if we are there yet or not while growing up..teen to adult, getting our drivers license, meeting someone we perceive as a prospective life partner, a new job, a new home, etc.!  Finding yourself “content” seems like the ultimate goal but do we ever become content, or will we always be looking for that “place”.  If you have children it’s easy to look ahead and wonder when you’ll get there…when will they talk, walk, etc.!

That’s when you want to be careful to stop wishing for the next step and embrace what’s happening right now…and you probably won’t learn it until much later.  My Mom used to tell me how fast time goes by and don’t wish your life away…and enjoy the kids while they are little, because in a blink that time is gone!!!  Of course I never believed her…well, until now!  Those very things have happened…my kids are nearly grown, time did fly and well…is this all sounding familiar?

The key in life whether you are married, have children, are in a relationship, or single and cruising along with your life plans…enjoy the trip…embrace the adventure and just take it all in.

Life isn’t about “getting there” …that place, that thing we are always after, our final destination...it’s about the adventure along the way and knowing enough to appreciate the journey!  The bumpy roads, the not so perfect perfect plans, etc….just have fun on the highway of life…there are sure to be some potholes but taking everything into account, it’s sure to be a hell of a ride!

Bike Ride

I wanna' go for a bike ride and throw my feet out to the air,
I wanna' go for a bike ride and roll like I just don't care!
Nobody ask me any questions I'll ignore you anyway,
'Cause I'm out on a bike ride and I've mentally run away!