Her hands were frail and her touch evoked a grandmotherly warmth as she held my hand and bent to touch the ragged hair of my 15 month old. “You’re such a doll” she said before looking around the table and reminiscing, “this reminds me of when my children were young. I had 5 of them. I remember those days, they were so beautiful”….and just like that, the seemingly overwhelming moment of shuttling everyone through a crowded coffee shop vanished. Parenting in hindsight is such a beautiful thing, especially evident through the lens of a woman who has endured this season of life already. The beauty of those days shining in the sparkle of her eyes, those moments escaping through the windows of her soul before the words reveal themselves through her quivering lips. The beauty of those moments, timelessly etched in her memory.
She went on to ask the kids their names and ages and expressed the beauty of a “large” family. “oh they’re always going to be friends, it’s so much fun.” she continued. Dropping gem like reminders along the way she reminded us that family and faith were the most essential things in life.
It was about 10 minutes until her grand-daughter arrived to have lunch with her and she bid us goodbye with a short and sweet blessing.
Her words were an affirmation that this crazy busy season of our lives will one day be the best season; undoubtedly the part of our story that we will pray to never forget and hope to always remember.
Everyday since, in the midst of cleaning, cooking, picking up toys, promising myself to not buy a single other lego, racing cars, coloring, doing laundry, reading books and combing dolls hair; i hear her voice, tender and sentimental, reminding me that this busy season is really just the most beautiful time of our lives.
