from where I stand

....things are so different from a year ago.  I never thought I'd derive so much joy from simply doing dishes. Yes, don't blot your eyes, on this evening the dishes were a joyful affair.  Getting to do the dishes while Ben is playing with Ryan is a treat because for a long time the dishes were a place of guilt- they were this thing I had to do in the evenings while Ben entertained himself.  Don't get me wrong, all kiddos need to entertain themselves, but the evening feels like this sacred part of family time to me.  That sacred feeling might be unfounded or off-base, but it's how I feel.  There's certainly A LOT of emotion tied up in last year at this time and how much Ryan was working.  I just wanted to capture this moment because it offered the value of PERSPECTIVE.  It is proof that things can and do change and will serve as a good reminder the next time we're in the midst of a chaotic work project and all hope seems lost.  I will say things would not be as different today had I not stuck up for our family and demanding respect for family time.  Balance is fleeting but so are months in the grand scheme of life.  Perspective really is priceless and I hope for our family that the value of this lesson-learned is not soon forgotten.


On this gorgeous Friday evening in April, I had the windows and doors opened wide, the music blasting, the dishes clinking, and the tears flowing down my cheeks as the giggles of Ben and his Dad from the swing-set interrupted it all.