Category Archives: family

family, loss, love

Celebrating Life

I hope that you passed a lovely Father’s Day celebrating those who have made an impact on your life.

We did our best to spoil the Daddy in our household and his Daddy and my Daddy. At a time like this we are mindful of how fortunate we are to have them in our life.

As life is an unpredictable journey we were taken in a different direction yesterday as we considered others whose Father’s Days were perhaps more of a challenge. There are many people who have reason for sadness even on days of celebration. A year or so ago, one of our sons’ friends’ Daddy died in his 30s of brain cancer. Those little boys must have suffered yesterday and we were praying for them…

…but later that day we were informed of very sad news and the sudden passing of a dear family friend. On the morning of Father’s Day a very young woman – wife, daughter, sister, and mother of two – passed suddenly. My thoughts were with that family all day long and I am so aware of their pain. So close to our journey.

I can only pray and hope that the grieving family, especially Jason, her loving husband, and their two little boys (Thomas-Jay and Burke) will find some solace in their shared memories over the years and that they will be gently comforted by the passing of time.

http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=508648

This post is to share with you what is on my mind and also to hopefully remind you that for all of us every day is a blessing.

I hope you will take an extra moment today to love the people in your life.

LIVE and LOVE OUT LOUD!!!!

Be well,

Jen

family, frustration, parenting, sons

The child inside us all

If I think back to the child I used to be… and if I am really honest… she is not that far gone.

little girl flowersAs a child I liked to laugh, liked to play, liked to learn, liked to create, I liked to entertain others with humour or wit or performance… I liked to hug and be hugged, I liked to cuddle. I wasn’t perfect then (my parents might try to tell you I was – sometimes I wish that was true…) and I am still not perfect – far from it.

All of those things are still true except now I have to pay a mortgage or fill out an(other) insurance form or take a mountain of meds, or sign permission slips.

But the child in me is the part most charmed by my sons. They are fun to play with and they are a total pain when they fight with us – then we have to put on grown-up pants and get serious! And so this morning we had to ground our eldest to his room and (being just like every generation in his family tree) he is stubborn.

Silence was the weapon he eventually resorted to.

But here was his method of communicating (this slipped out under his door for any passer by I guess…)

Note to parents
I remember when I was stuck in my room to clean up – I think I was 3. My Dad was going out to work but I wanted his attention. So I remember making a ringing noise (I had a small play phone in my room) and calling down the stairs to him that the phone was ringing. He had his briefcase and was tying his shoes. He asked me to please answer it – thinking that he had outsmarted me… I ran over to the phone and shouted “Hello? … Just a second… DADDY? It’s for YOU!”

I ran to the top of the stairs just in time to see him slouch over his tied shoes and shake his head, slowly putting down his briefcase and up he came.

There are reasons that these things happen. Maybe his hug really was magic, or maybe his new timing helped him miss a traffic accident, or maybe – just maybe – the fact that he and his 37-year-old daughter still smile at that memory is reason enough to come take the call.

Be well.

Jen

… oh and for the record, I did need him, so I did knock on the foot of his bed.

faith, family, inspiration, parenting, sons

From the voice of a child

Yesterday, my grade three son came home from school and shared with me a plastic Easter egg. Inside he produced several symbolic objects with a story book that explained where they come from and why.

Because a picture really is 1000 words, here is what he and I scanned and labeled to share with you.

Magnify the Lord
As we prepare for the long Easter weekend, we wish you a wonderful holiday with your loved ones and traditions.

Be well.

Jen