Genuis and Faith

Over Thanksgiving we were in the Outer Banks, celebrating my dad's birthday. While there we visited the Wright Brothers Memorial.

In case you can't read it, the big word carved into stone there is GENIUS. I asked Stan to pose there and this is what I got. To me, it's perfect. Stan doesn't always relax for pictures but here he looks so comfortable and at ease. Stan is most himself when he's in the world of genius, caught up in the startlingly profound thoughts inside his head.

I have enough genius to hold my own but it's not the place where I thrive. On another corner of the memorial, there's a word that better describes the world I live in. Stan has plenty of faith on his own but of the two of us, I'm much more comfortable with psyche and spirit.

My thoughts are allegory where Stan's are algebra. I like questions and Stan likes answers. We play off each other's ideas and help each other understand. Together, we bring a fullness to life that separately we could never achieve. Together, there is hope that we may find even some small measure of the success the Wright Brothers achieved.

(If you look closely you'll see that I'm slightly uphill from Stan and on my tiptoes. 4 inch heels are helpful for good photos but just won't do for sightseeing.)

Run with the wind

Thanksgiving Gobbler 5k in the Outer Banks with my dad and brother. The spouses and children ran the 1 mile Giblet. Ma stayed at the beach house and cooked the turkey.

Pa stayed with me the whole time and encouraged me to run even when the Kitty Hawk winds got me down. Matthew tried to stay with me but he and his long legs felt the need for speed. We watched his bright orange shirt scoot away and wished him well. Thanks to both of them, I finished my first official race and ran my best 5k time ever.

Words to warm a mama's heart

Today at our house we had one of those non-emergency situations we prepare for that don't happen very often. Monkey commented on the odd event and I said "Yes, but you did exactly what you were supposed to. Thank you." Monkey looked at me for a moment with her head cocked to the side and said "Things go better when I do what I'm supposed to." Amen, my darling, and may it be ever so.

Parenting is Serious Business

Puddin': No Daddy, that's not right.
Stan: Is it ok for me to be silly?
Puddin': Yeah, but not when you're parenting.

Endurance

A friend said to me recently, "Every time you stand up these days you get smacked down again." I wish that hadn't rung so true. Car issues. Kid issues. Ex-wife issues. Church issues. Just as I come to terms with one, the next issue in the cue steps forward to knock me off my feet again.

Now, to be clear, we're doing ok. Our health and finances are secure. Our family relationships are solid. There are far worse problems to have than the ones we face these days and we're incredibly grateful for the good in our lives.

Still, these are not our best days. Stan and I both want to run away (together. with no children. to somewhere warm.) but we want our children to grow up into mature, responsible adults. Therefore, we get up, dust ourselves off, and face the drama with all the compassion we can muster.

Today was a run day for me. Because of a car issue, I had to change my routine and ended up running a track rather than my usual treadmill. I pounded away the stress, lap after lap, and towards the end, an older gentleman stopped me. "You have a lot of endurance." I responded with something self-effacing and he said "you're doing great." Little did he know, but those were just the words I needed to hear.

I don't have to muddle through or run away for I am a woman of great endurance.

A Meal to Be Thankful For

In church this Sunday we talked about world hunger. The speaker - Rev. Paul Montacute - is a regular member of our church who flies around the world with Baptist World Aid, trying to make a difference for folks in need.  Paul ended his sermon by having the congregation snap in time. As we snapped, he reminded us that for each snap, a child somewhere in the world dies of hunger-related causes.

Monkey and Peanut stopped snapping and looked at me with horror on their faces. Sure, they've heard about this before. They're accustomed to the idea of collecting money for world hunger, or giving and sorting non-perishable foods for local distribution. They know the facts but the reality never sunk in. Suddenly, they see how big a deal it really is.

This Thanksgiving, in addition to filling up a rice bowl with the family's spare change, we want to share with Monkey and Peanut (and Puddin' as she can understand) a little more about what it feels like to be in need. Tonight we're going to have a meal where the only thing available is rice, a few lentils and a glass of clean water. This simple meal - almost fasting compared to our normal fare - would be a luxury in some parts of the world. Tomorrow morning, we get to have our fill again at breakfast but most of the world's hungry don't get that option.

This year, Stan and I want our kids to see what a blessed life they really live. Even though we don't have all the latest gadgets or coolest clothes, we have an abundance far beyond our needs. We hope that they will learn to give thanks and praise in all circumstances - in need, in want, and in abundance.

For any who are interested, here are some of the resources we're using:

• Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger has maps, facts, lesson plans, aimed at elementary kids and teenagers.
• Bread For the World has articles on causes of hunger and poverty, big picture solutions, ways for individuals to get involved, and this little miracle food kids can relate to.
• There are lots of ways to show what global food distribution looks like. Here's a story of how one couple shared a hunger feast.
• Free Rice challenges kids to different sorts of questions and gives away grains of rice for each correct answer. A simple (brain-enriching) way for kids to take part.
• The Water Project has games and lessons for kids of various ages to teach them the importance of water and how it impacts people in poverty.
• And for those who like a tear-jerker, here's a page of stories from hunger-stricken areas around the world. Have your tissue box handy.

Blessings to you all. May you have happy and thankful days ahead.

Three Flamingos

See them there, tall and preening
Shades of pink and rampant queening
Each her own, leading the herd.

Solve a mystery, dance on tiptoes
Make more music, chase that rainbow
Days are full for three flamingos