Pennsy style signal

It was like a step back in time.

On the quest for wedding reception venues, oldest daughter, her fiancé, and dear ol’ Dad and I visited some spots in the city a couple of weeks ago.

Daughter moved to the city her first year out of college when she landed a job there and a great apartment with one of her best friends.  That same job took her away to a Southern city for a few years, but last fall she found a new job back in the metropolis that she loves so much.

So naturally, upon getting recently engaged, her thoughts turned to holding her dream wedding day in a spot in her beloved city.    She researched,  surfed the net for sites recommended, and made appointments for viewings.

Her dad and I drove in from our country home to meet oldest daughter and fiancé to spend most  of a Saturday checking out possible sites.   One of those was the historic Pennsylvanian Union Train Station.

Hubby was eager to visit this place because of his love of all things railroad.  The building we visited was designed and constructed in the early 1900’s as a train terminal and office building for the Pennsylvania Railroad, which happens to be the railroad my father-in-law worked for and a source of great interest for my husband.

Back in that era, trains were the way to travel, which is why the Union Train Station was erected.  From the limited research I read,  I found that the station building was designed by Daniel Burnham, a Chicago architect.

Renovated in 1987, the edifice now houses condominiums and office spaces, but the first floor, where the original concourse is located, can be rented out for special events such as weddings.   It’s interesting to note that Amtrak trains still depart and arrive near this spot.

The 13-story structure is simply stunning with marble floors, arched openings, and elaborate terra cotta and plaster work.  The ballroom, originally the grand concourse once crowded with passing travelers, boasts 11,000 square feet available for celebrations.    The space is covered by a 40-foot vaulted ceiling, much of which is a massive copper and iron skylight.

As we investigated this space like no other, I could see that my husband’s imagination wheels were turning.  He wanted to see every inch of the place.

I noticed him sitting in one of the gleaming, polished wooden benches and looking around, and I supposed he was imagining the concourse full of busy passengers coming and going to cities like New York, Philadelphia, or Chicago.  Supposedly, nearly 10,000 travelers journeyed through that area every day back in the station’s heyday.

But my favorite spot was the magnificent entry rotunda, designed by draftsman Peter Joseph Weber and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Neoclassical style domed structure features corner pavilions and allowed for turning spaces for horse-drawn carriages.  This spectacular construction begs to be photographed and I couldn’t stop taking pictures there.

The Pennsylvanian, as this majestic structure is now named, proved enthralling.   No doubt it would be a magnificent and photogenic spot for a wedding reception, but it wasn’t the place for our daughter’s wedding reception.  In railroad terms, “Pennsy style” is a type of railroad signal developed by the Pennsylvania Railroad.  So for us, the signal we received was no go.

Just getting to view the inside of this stately and historic landmark though in my book called Opportunity was a treat we all enjoyed and time spent together exploring added to the joy.

And so the quest for a spot to celebrate wedding bliss continued.  But that I’ll save for another day’s  post because for now, I must spend time with middle daughter working on her wedding decorations.

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

 

Finding joy in a flooded basement

Things could be worse.

Here at Mama’s Empty Nest we experienced a rude awakening this morning.  Hubby gently roused me and asked if I had to work today.  Bewildered and groggy, I replied, “No, why?”

“Good thing,” he answered.  “We have no hot water.”  As he shivered from a cold shower and quickly dressed, I gathered my wits.

A trip to the basement revealed a flood surrounding the vicinity of the hot water tank.   Great.  Hubby hurriedly moved nearby items away from the source and started squeegee-ing water towards the basement floor drain.  Mindful of my bad back, I moved light boxes out of the way and tried to see how far the water had spread.

Our basement is full – and I do mean full – of all kinds of things in storage.  Our nest is a revolving door with our adult children coming and going and using it as a depository for all of the extra stuff they don’t need yet or want in their apartments.  So boxes, plastic tubs, furniture, small appliances, and all kinds of what-nots await in monstrous piles to be transported to their permanent homes when the kids marry and finally get settled.

I quickly surveyed oldest daughter’s piano to make sure it was out of harm’s way and was relieved to see it was.  Drat, I thought.  We’ll have to move all this stuff around tonight when hubby gets home and haul out some wet carpeting to the garbage.  In addition, we’ll have to open up some boxes and make sure nothing was damaged.  Not what I had planned today, that’s for sure.  And darn it, my achy back and hip are bothering me again as well!  Plus there’s the expense of purchasing and installing a new hot water heater.  What a way to begin the day!

Back upstairs in the kitchen, hubby heated water in the teakettle so he could shave and leave for work while I perused the telephone book yellow pages in search of a repairman.   After a couple unsuccessful calls, I talked to a gentleman who lived near our home.  “I’ll be over in just a few minutes,” he promised.

True to his word, this repairman arrived not long after I jumped out of my jammies and into some clothes.  He assessed the situation quickly and said he’d be back in no time with a new water heater, but he would have to bring some help as he recently had emergency surgery and wasn’t able to lift heavy objects.

I offered how sorry I was for that, and he remarked with a laugh, “Oh, it could be worse!”  I couldn’t get over how chipper he was and how much of an optimist he appeared to be.   He was downright jovial, I thought, and laughed easily as we chatted.  Must be one of those early morning people, I decided.

He returned with two friends and a brand new water heater in tow.  While he worked, we discussed how things don’t last, how outrageously expensive items are, and how we get less for our money nowadays.   “Oh well,” he said, “it could be worse.”

He repeated that saying several times in the course of our conversation.  Finally, he revealed the reason for his opinion.  A few months ago, a man had been working on a gas line in a nearby town and the deep ditch he was in collapsed onto him.  He was encased in soil, unable to move for quite some time until rescue workers were able to free him.

That man was my water heater repairman today.   As he casually mentioned it, claustrophobic me was shocked.  I said, “Oh, bless your heart! How did you stand it? I would have died from fright!”

He said, “You know, I could have died, but I didn’t even have one broken bone from the weight of all that dirt on me.  I figure God wanted me to stay here for something.  It just wasn’t my time.”

And he laughed.   He.  Laughed.  This man had stared down death and instead of being paralyzed by the trauma of what had happened to him, he rejoiced in life.   His demeanor was full of joy.  Joy for life.  Joy for his work.  Joy for each day.

He continued by saying that he doesn’t get upset over things like he used to.  Those things are trivial and he said it again, “It could always be a lot worse.”

What a lesson I was given early this morning for this day in my book of Opportunity.   Waking up to no hot water and a flooded basement floor wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t the end of the world either.  I had water, I had a warm home, I had all the other necessities of life right at my fingertips.

And I had a prompt and able repairman who installed my new water heater and had it working by 10:15 this morning.  I appreciated his quick response and his ability to restore my hot water.

But you know what?  I appreciate the lesson he gave me about joy even more.  He reminded me that no matter what trouble comes your way, there’s joy to be found because “it could always be worse.”

Copyright  ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Wordless Wednesday: Something new

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Riding the joy train

I think I’ve been like the little engine who could.

Like him, I’ve been chugging my way along focusing on what I need to do using “I think I can, I think I can” as my motto.  But perhaps I’ve chosen the wrong track – the selfish one.

I’ve realized recently that I write often about my own experiences or daily occurrences in my book called Opportunity that inspire me or give me cause to pause in wonder.  And this year, I vowed to concentrate on detailing those experiences that grant me joy.

As I’ve contemplated what gives a person joy, I’ve discovered something I hadn’t considered before.   I believe joy is like love, it’s meant to be shared.  But you can’t share if you’re being selfish.

What supplies joy for another human being?  For my grown up children, I’m certain they find joy in their relationships with their beloveds in their newly engaged statuses.    For some people, serving others provides joy.  Some think they find joy in owning material goods.  For those of us who are believers in Christ, new life in Him sustains us and imparts joy like no other.

Just lately, I’ve realized even the simplest act or encounter can send our hearts leaping into merriment – that happy, happy, joy, joy state of mind.  A few weeks ago, I watched my husband of 34 years get as excited about something as a little child does in a candy store.

My husband’s father worked his adult life on a railroad, so my spouse grew up listening to much talk about trains and he knows a lot about them.  As a child, he rode the train on a free pass with his parents from time to time.   The sound of a train whistle and the cavalcade of passing cars on the railroad tracks have always held my hubby captive.

For much of our married life, this man also has been enthralled with model trains. His dearest wish would be to build a model railroad someday, and he already owns an HO train engine just waiting to link up with more railroad cars and chug along a track.

When we were young marrieds, we enjoyed a few short excursions via steam engine trains during vacations.   These trips excited my husband while I just thought they were something different to experience.

With our children, we’ve also ridden trains as well as visited numerous train-related sites including a railroad museum or two.   Although they were interesting, they just didn’t hold the allure for me like they did for my beloved.

I like museums, but I tend to move along at a faster pace, only stopping to read about items that pique my curiosity.   But my history loving husband lingers at each exhibit case, reading every card of information, sauntering and generally taking his good old time.   I’m usually a room or two ahead of him when we visit such establishments and become a little agitated when he’s lollygagging behind.

So with all of that in mind, I confess I groaned inwardly when my husband informed me that he would like to attend a model railroad display not far from our home.   He’s mentioned this before, but somehow we just never got around to going.   So one weekend, he remarked again that he wanted to view this particular display at a model railroad museum and he wanted to go that day.  Would I go along?

Part of me wanted to say no, you go right ahead.  I’ll stay home and….blog or work on our daughters’ wedding plans.  But in my spirit, I felt God was challenging me in my newly announced quest for joy.  Did searching for joy only involve me and my feelings?  Absolutely not!  Why wouldn’t I be willing to participate in something that might grant a little joy for my spouse?

So I said yes, let’s go!  We spent the better part of a Saturday afternoon examining and exclaiming over a rather large model railroad display that continued through several rooms of the museum.  My hubby was over-joyed.  He grinned from ear to ear.  He chatted with an older gentleman, who happened to be one of the model railroad club members, and listened carefully as the enthusiast explained aspects of the elaborate set-up.

I marveled that we stayed together, side by side, viewing the display.  I didn’t forge my way ahead of him and wait for him to catch up; I remained at his side spotting and inspecting all of the tiny details the creators had painstakingly taken to make the display realistic.

The display was amazing, but something else became amazingly apparent as well to me.  As we left the museum later that afternoon, my husband declared happily, “That was really fun!”  And you know what?  It was.

Watching my husband – this man who has put up with me all of these years in good times and not so good; this man who agreed to change his career track and move back to my hometown not his; this man who has worked hard to always provide for me and our children – watching this man, my beloved, derive a bit of joy himself from the simplest outing gave me joy.  Happy, happy, joy, joy.  Just as it should.

“A joy shared is a joy doubled.” ~ Anonymous

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

You! Yes, you!

If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times.

That sounds like something my mother would have said to me when I was doing something wrong or not accomplishing what she asked of me.

“If I said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, go pick up your room,”  I can imagine her saying.  Matter of fact, I’m sure she did say it a thousand times.  And I’m pretty certain I’ve used the same saying a thousand times on my own children too.

But today, that saying doesn’t refer to something negative.  Today in my Opportunity book, that sentence gives me joy.   Why?  Because if I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times – I’ve ‘met’ some truly wonderful people through blogging.

While reading what other bloggers write, I’ve learned much about their characters and their lives while their stories humor, inspire and bless me.   When a blogging buddy regularly reads my posts and offers interesting and uplifting comments, that blesses me too!

Recently, two blogging friends conferred more honor upon my little blogging world.  Kate at kateschannel  presented the Liebster Blog Award to Mama’s Empty Nest and Dianna at These Days of Mine gifted me with the All Around Wonderful Blog Award.

First, let me tell you about these two talented people before I divulge info about the awards.  I first ‘met’ Kate when she commented on my blog and I was interested in getting to know who she was.  That’s what I do.  Leave a comment, I’ll visit your blog, see what you write about, peek in on your “about me” page.

Here’s what I’ve learned about my new friend, Kate.  She has much experience in the communications field, so when she compliments my writing,  I appreciate that.  Kate is a die-hard Detroit sports fan and a work at home mom.  I can tell she’s passionate about her family and her life in Michigan.  And I like that about her!

I can’t remember exactly when my path crossed with Dianna’s, but I never miss reading this gracious lady’s blog because it brightens my day.   Occasionally, her clever kitty, Sundae, may offer a guest post making me chuckle.  Dianna and I share some commonalities: we’re around the same age, we are owned by beautiful but spoiled calico cats, we enjoy photography, and our families mean the world to us.

Now that I’ve introduced you to these two friends, here’s the scoop on the awards.  The Liebster Blog Award is sweet because the German word means dearest, beloved or favorite.   You can’t get any better than being someone’s favorite or beloved, so it warms my heart that Kate lists my blog in that category!

Like other blog awards, the Liebster rules require the honoree to pass the torch to five favorite blogs who have less than 200 followers.   I’m not a fan of following the masses, so many of my favorite bloggers fit this requirement, so that wasn’t a challenge.  Among my beloved blogs are writers who have already accepted this award, so I’m bestowing it upon those who haven’t received it yet to my knowledge.

I proudly pass the Liebster Blog Award to five of my favorites:

1)    Homestead Ramblings HR is my go-to person.  She and I have become very good friends since our early blogging days and I love both her blog and her!  Her blog is always surprising as she writes about a myriad of subjects.  Her faith and love for nature (and Alaska) shine through her posts.

2)    Montucky  Montucky’s spectacular photography mesmerizes me and I love clicking onto his blog to see his latest shot.

3)    Watkins Every Flavor Beans  This writer is my oldest daughter’s friend.   A stay at home young mother of three handsome little fellows, she chronicles her family life while living in Scotland.  Her creativity astounds me.

4)    Dividing By Zero This guy can be incredibly funny or deep.  He’s my personal friend  from a long time ago, and I witnessed his humor daily when we were co-workers.  I enjoy reading his talented writing because he always has thought-provoking things to say.

5)    Laura’s Blog Another personal friend, Laura is one witty gal.   She can wrap a rhyme around words in a flash and her humor is pointedly funny.  She writes often about her faith and that’s one of the reasons I love her.

All Around Wonderful Blog Award -  what an honor to be named “all around wonderful!”  I gratefully accepted this award and the charming award badge that accompanies it.

The rules for accepting this award are “be a follower of this blog,  pass the award on to 3 other blogs,  and lastly, link the award back to this blog.”

Simple, right?  But narrowing down my blogroll list to only three blogs for this honor proved difficult for me.  I wanted to wrap it up like an unexpected present in cheerful, colorful paper tied with an exquisite, shiny ribbon and bestow it upon every single one of my blogging buddies.

But I am a rule follower so I’ll obey because I can hear my dear mom’s voice in my head saying, “If I told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times…”

So my choices for the All Around Wonderful Blog Award are:

1)    Saturday Evening Porch  When you go sit on my sweet Southern friend’s front porch, you’ll find yourself chuckling out loud.  She has a clever knack of taking ordinary things and turning them into amusing stories because she’s such a wonderful story-teller.

2)    Big Happy Nothing  Amiable Amiable, lovingly known as AA, literally cracks me up.  She’s funny, witty, yet can throw some poignancy into the mix so easily.   She also is an all around wonderful story-teller.

3)    Believe Anyway I’ve just recently become acquainted with this writer who created the Candle Lighter Award, but her enthusiasm for life and her faith is contagious.  She is the eternal optimist and I think we need more wonderful people like her to brighten up this world.

I once read a quote by psychologist and philosopher William James that said, “What every genuine philosopher (every genuine man, in fact) craves most is praise – although the philosophers generally call it ‘recognition’!”

So true.  Every person does yearn for praise.  To have the words and thoughts which I chronicle in this blog considered to be worthy of recognition truly provides me great joy.   Today, I’m kind of like actress Sally Field as she accepted an Academy Award, “You like me, you really like me!”

Thank you, Kate and Dianna, for liking me!  Thank you, fellow writers, for delighting me each day in our blogging community.  You are such treasures!  And finally, thank you to all those readers who click on my blogspace and light up my world.

“There are amazingly wonderful people in all walks of life; some familiar to us and others not. Stretch yourself and really get to know people. People are in many ways one of our greatest treasures.”  ~ Bryant H. McGill

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Wordless Wednesday: Something old

©2012mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Brides R Us

My regular followers may have noticed Mama’s Empty Nest has been a bit absent on the blogging scene the last few days.

Matter of fact, for two consecutive days, Mama didn’t even turn on her laptop.  That has to be some kind of record!

Never fear though, Mama’s not MIA (missing in action).  I am, however, definitely in action – wedding planning action, that is.

In between chiropractor, dental, and car maintenance appointments, and – oh yeah – that crazy little thing called work, the last week or so has been chock full o’ nuts activity.

Mama’s feathers are ruffled, not in an agitated way but in a feverish mode, from a flurry of flying here and there.

With one family wedding scheduled for late spring (middle daughter) and two – yes, two! – planned for fall (son and oldest daughter), the nest is ensconced in a full tilt tizzy.  It’s a joyful tizzy, but still a tizzy nevertheless.

Can I declare right here and now that I’m ever so relieved to have only two daughters, not three?  Way back when son was born, we felt fairly certain we would be dealt “three of a kind” and our third child would be another girl.  Pleasantly surprised with a son instead, we were given a “pair and a spare.”

I didn’t think much then, when our children were 5, 2 ½, and a newborn, about their future weddings.    But wow!  I’m sure thinking about that now! Being the mother of a groom is a piece of cake (pun intended) compared to the responsibilities of the bride’s parents.

So as son and fiancée start planning their nuptials, I’m happy to just come along for the ride. But my ode to joy isn’t just because I only have two daughters’ weddings to plan; joy’s derived from the pleasure of watching all three of my children find their true loves.

So on to the flurry!  Both of my girls ventured out of the city back to our country empty nest for a wedding planning marathon last weekend.   Starting out Saturday, we launched a gift registry mission for middle daughter with a trip to the suburbs.  Her groom, swamped in time consuming grad school classes in the state next door, is pretty much unavailable for preparation activities such as this until just shortly before the wedding.

First let me mention that this is the daughter who truly dislikes shopping.  She’s one of those “get in, get what you want, get out” type of shoppers.  Definitely not a shop til you drop kind of girl.

With that knowledge fully recognized, this mom expected to have to convince, cajole, and coerce to keep my darling daughter focused on the task at hand – completing a gift registry.  Imagine my shock and awe when I realized we were in one store completing her bridal gift registry for a grand total of five hours!  You read that correctly – five hours!

We had an amazingly helpful store associate assisting us in our quest (until her shift was over!).   And we truly had fun!  It overjoyed this mama to see middle daughter so excited over choosing prospective wedding gifts from china patterns to pig-shaped bag clips and oldest daughter helping.  We laughed, we oohed, we joked, we aahed, we marveled, we zapped her finds on the hand-held register.

It was akin to an episode of the three musketeers.  Armed with the store device instead of swords, we came, we divided, and we conquered!  And then the weary wedding planners headed home to recoup because the next day guaranteed to be another day of going bridal.

Sunday we ventured back to the ‘burbs for a large bridal show.  Vendor after vendor paraded their wedding fare to both of my girls.   As we approached each booth, the vendor would ask, “Who’s the bride?”

My girls would smile demurely and I’d reply, “Both of them!”

Vendor would ask my daughters, “Are you friends?  Sisters?”

“Sisters!” came the happy answer.  “Getting married in the same year.”

Vendor’s attention refocused on good ol’ Mama, eyeing me up carefully saying, “Ooooooooh!”

I then laughingly retorted, “And that’s not all!  My son is getting married this year too!”

Their eyes widened, mouths forming that proverbial O, and probably money signs appeared in their brains with that cah-ching sound.  I firmly believe that when you admit the items you seek are for a wedding, the price suddenly sky-rockets, and then take that times three!  Cash cow!

But what a day we had!  We sampled wedding cakes, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered pretzels, and candy favors until we were dizzy on a sugar high and oldest daughter developed real food hunger crankiness.

We saw everything you can imagine you might want to rent/purchase for a wedding and then some.  Flowers, gowns, venues, photographers, DJs, limos, decorations, services ranging from dance lessons to make-up to chiropractic to wild bachelorette party ideas.  You name it, it was there.

After registering for every door prize being offered in addition to a slew of other give-aways, we tasted macaroni and cheese cupcakes and tiny toasted cheese sandwiches with a tomatoey dipping sauce from one caterer.  Both were scrumptious, by the way.

And just as the weight of our shopping bags full of brochures, catalogs, and coupons became a heavy load to carry and our legs and feet tired from all the standing and walking (especially Mama) we welcomed the chance to sit and enjoy an hour long fashion show featuring wedding gowns, veils, bridesmaid dresses, and tuxes for the men.

Alas, my girls didn’t win one give-away item (I really hoped one of them might win the all-expense paid honeymoon cruise) so we loaded our tired selves into middle daughter’s car and headed home to the nest.  And there, we hauled out all our gleanings, searched for more ideas on the internet, and the girls pinned their finds on Pinterest.

It’s official.   Wedding planning has taken over our thoughts, our discussions, our very lives, at least for the women in the family.   But don’t worry, Papa had his moment in this marriage madness.  While Mama helped middle daughter register for wedding gifts, Papa was getting measured for the tuxedo for her nuptials.  He also was pleased to hear we found a reasonably affordable DJ for the first wedding in the line-up.

I think he enjoyed hearing his daughters gush about our two days of going bridal but realistically plan their lovely yet affordable weddings.  He loves his girls and wants them both to have a memorable wedding day.

And that’s what it’s all really about – love – because I know that every day in my book of Opportunity, love gives us such joy.  And love is a beautiful thing.

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Wordless Wednesday: Winter sun

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Go light your world

A little light illuminates my world each time I fire up my laptop, whether it’s dark, dreary, or sunny be it daylight or evening.

Since I began this blogging journey, I have ‘met’ some truly incredible folks.   I follow a number of blogs and reading what these intuitive and creative people write honestly brightens up my day.

This week started out snowy and it’s been cold and gray,  but today as I write this post, I am joyful because the sun is shining brightly in a crystal blue sky.  I’m sitting in my living room by a window and the welcomed sun’s brilliant rays of light stream through the curtain and warm my face.

And that reminds me of my blogging friends whose words of good cheer, humor, and encouragement warm my heart.  This world we live in can seem so discouraging and dark.  Often only bad news makes the headlines; we hear about how truly horrific we humans can be toward one another.

For me, all it takes to lighten my burden or brighten my outlook is one encouraging thought – one ray of light sending the darkness scattering.  Some unknown person once said, “There isn’t enough darkness in all of the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.”

It reminds me why I have always loved my church’s candlelight service.  The worship service begins at 11 p.m. Christmas Eve in a darkened sanctuary.  At midnight, we usher the joy of Christmas Day’s arrival in when our pastor lights a candle from the Christ candle on the advent wreath and passes the light to another person.

In turn, all of us believers gathered there light our candles from one another until the church is filled with glowing radiance.  As we sing “Silent Night” by glimmering candlelight, the old church bell peals outside in the cold, crisp air.  The sight of flickering candles shining in believers’ faces as we recognize our Savior’s birth is a moving experience and brings me joy.

Recently, one of my blogging buddies, Happy Kids Happy Mom over at Play 101, passed some glimmering  joy to me when she graciously awarded my blog The Candle Lighter Award.  In her words, “This award is for those bloggers whose words light the way through the blogosphere.”

There are no rules for this award. It’s just a way of pointing out inspirational blogs.  But I’m honored that she deems my words worthy of being candlelight in this dark world and I am humbled and grateful that she chose me as one of her nominees.

The Candle Lighter Award is relatively new here in blogger world.  It originated with Kate at Believe Anyway for blogs “that bring light to the world [and offer] inspiration, hope, optimism, good advice, faith filled assurances, and even humor.”

I love the title of Kate’s blog, so naturally I checked it out.  What I read in this post blessed my heart, especially after I had just chosen to commence this new book of Opportunity (the new year) focusing on one word – joy.

Here’s what Kate wrote, “… let’s light up the world with Candle Lighters. The world needs joy and lots of it. Let’s leave no one out who is adding to the world’s joy.”

Some of my blogging friends have already received this award, some of them don’t really care about these accolades, so I’m asking my readers to pass along the Candle Lighter Award.  If you read a blog that inspires you and really lights up your world, send that writer a gift – this award.

“If you’re not lighting any candles, don’t complain about the dark.” ~  Author Unknown

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Step back to the 80′s

I walked up my steps today.  And that gave me great joy!

What may sound like a normal, everyday occurrence to most people has been extremely difficult for me in the last several months.

My out of whack body (neck, back, leg, and hip) and an ailment in my right hip have prevented me from climbing the stairs in usual fashion.  Going down stairs didn’t hurt, just ascending them did.

Each attempt brought such pain in my right hip, I couldn’t navigate the steps normally.  Instead, I scrambled up stairs using my left leg as the leader on each riser and dragging the right one to follow or I sort of half crawled up the steps.

The last couple of weeks, I’ve tried shifting as much body weight as possible to my right arm instead of my right hip,  while clinging to the banister railing, and attempting to go upstairs normally.  Still hurt like the dickens.

But today I came home from my chiropractor’s appointment and walked up my steps.  Using both legs equally.  Not using the hand rail.  Triumph!!  It wasn’t completely without a little twinge in the hip, but still definitely is significant progress.  And I am thankful and joyful in my book of Opportunity.

While my chiropractor adjusted my back, hip, and neck today, we discussed making wise choices.   He, of course, is all about having a healthy body and we conversed about raising children and steering them into nutritious eating choices.

While we chatted…push…crack…turn…push…pop…turn…he asked me if I had heard about a particular well-known football player in the 80’s who had been raised in a  strict, healthy environment yet got caught up in drugs and ruined his life.

My response?  Never heard of him. Because it was back in the 80’s.  I told my doctor I don’t really remember that decade.  He may have wondered what the heck I was doing then, so I promptly explained that was my having children decade,  so I can’t recall too much else.  Chalk it up to being sleep-deprived, overly stressed, whatever, but those 10 years are a blur to me.

I know that the 1970’s are sometimes referred to as the “me decade.”  Well, the 80’s, in my case, were the “anything but me decade.”    I rarely had time to myself, let alone time for myself.  Let me explain.

I became pregnant three times and gave birth to all of my children during those years (our first child was born when my husband was on the other side of the globe), so I spent much of my time being hormonal, experiencing significant body changes, not to mention weight variances, undergoing natural childbirth, and nursing three babies.  THAT I remember.

I was a stay at home mom with little ones under the age of 7 and my days (and nights) revolved around taking care of children, cleaning up after them, washing countless loads of laundry and endless loads of dishes, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning house from top to bottom, AND packing up and moving six times during that decade, with a healthy dose of church-related activities thrown in.  THAT I remember.

My husband left the military and landed a stressful, demanding job which required much overnight travel, which meant I was home alone A LOT with three young children and no family nearby to help.  THAT I remember.

My health took a tailspin and after doctor’s visits and medical tests, I endured major surgery and a hospital stay.  THAT I remember.

I stooped over to pick up my baby son one day while I raced to get to an appointment on time when I felt a searing pain rip through my back.  That night when I looked into my mirror, I saw that my body was askew.  Really, really askew, distorted so that my hip was crooked.  I made my very first trip to a chiropractor the next day.  THAT I remember.

There were car break-downs, household break-downs, and emotional break-downs as I tried to cope with a stressful life in the 80’s.   THAT I remember.

But I don’t remember what happened in the world outside of my home.   I don’t remember much about politics (except that Ronald Reagan was President).    I don’t recall major world events or even local ones for that matter.

I don’t remember what songs were popular on the radio or what television shows we watched (unless you count Sesame Street and those Christmas specials I blogged about previously).  I don’t remember what movies came out. (Did I even GO to the movies?  I don’t remember.)  No wait, E.T. must have been a big draw at the movie theater because my oldest daughter was terrified of him.  (“NO E.T. Mommy!!  NO E.T.!!!”)

Yep. That was the 80’s or what I remember from those years.

And as much as I remember the tough times I endured in that decade, I remember the joy I experienced as well.  Yes, there was joy in the middle of all of that stuff.

There was the joy of three normal pregnancies resulting in three perfectly healthy, wonderful babies.  There was joy in developing new friendships in new places to live.  There was joy purchasing our very first home together.  There was joy in finding a church family to belong to.

And there was joy in the middle of everyday life in between the dirty diapers, play-doh stuck to the carpet, ink drawings on the entry way wall-paper, toys strewn everywhere, and the noise.  There was the joy of raising a family.

And that I wouldn’t trade for anything….even a trip back to the 80’s.

So if you’re a tired, stressed young mother out there, take heart.  If I survived an entire decade (and more) of such a life and can still find the joy it brought, so can you.   All you have to do is take time to let it register in your memory bank so you can recall it when someday you find yourself in the empty nest.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” ~ James 1:2-3

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