"Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies." ~Erich Fromm

Some observations I have made about life over the past few months:

• No matter how old I get, nor how long he's been gone, there will always be those days and circumstances in my life when I would give anything to be able to pick up the phone, call my daddy, and ask for his wise opinion and advice.  I miss him.
• Being a mother doesn't end when the children are no longer teenagers - it just changes, and in some ways gets more challenging.  In her book, Raising Blaze, Debra Ginsberg writes, “Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest.”   What she writes is true.  "Deep" and "sharp" aptly describe every emotion involving my children.  But I wouldn't have it any other way!
• "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."  (3 John 1:4)  As my children are slipping further away from our nest, this passage becomes increasingly more meaningful to me.  The three who call me "mom" each have their own faith, and their own individual relationships with their God.  Truly, I have "no greater joy."
• I am blessed to have some of the most wonderful people God ever created as my family and friends.  Zelda Fitzgerald wrote, "Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.”  Just when I think I can't possibly love them more, I realize I do.
• It really is the "little things" that mean the most . . . the young friend who does the unexpected act of selfless, thoughtful kindness for us; the young song leader who asks me what my favorite hymn is so that he can lead it on my birthday, and does - even though he's never even sung it before; the note received in the mail; the phone call from a friend; the text message that brings a smile . . . the list goes on and on.
• Children are precious.  Dickens wrote, "It is not a slight thing when they who are so fresh from God, love us."  Not a sight thing, indeed!  The innocent trust and the love I receive from my little friends brings inexpressible joy.
• "Never judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins."  No matter what I "think" I know about someone, I've learned to never assign motives, or to even pretend that I understand why someone reacts like they do in any given situation.  I can't see behind the scenes, and have no idea what someone might be dealing with privately.  Similarly, even if I do know what they are going through, and feel I have experienced the same trial, I need to be careful.  Everyone's pain is different, even when it involves similar experiences.
• There are some kindnesses in life that can never be repaid.  However, I can make it my aim to always try my best to find opportunities to "pay it forward."
• People are the same.  Everyone has the need and desire to be accepted, believed in, cared about, forgiven, loved, trusted, understood, and valued.  No one has it all together, and everyone struggles with something.  
• The most important decision one will ever make in this life is who they choose to marry.  The one with whom you share your life will either push you closer to God, or pull you from Him.  I thank God every single day for the blessing of a godly mate, and I pray daily that God will bless our children with the same.
• Life is short, and passes quickly.  I would do well to consciously think about that as I get out of bed each day, and live accordingly.
• Simple pleasures should be fully enjoyed - that first sip of coffee in the morning, the way my little dog greets me with a wagging tail, Andy's frozen custard, a walk around the block, a tall glass of cold lemonade on a hot day, and chocolate in any form.
• Attending the funeral of an elderly friend followed by a trip to the hospital to meet a brand new baby can do wonders at putting life in perspective.
• As much as we say we should never take anything for granted, I do - every single day.
• God is good - all the time.