Ordinary Observations

I felt like an idiot as I drove down the road with big gigantic tears streaming down my face. I was anxiously and silently holding back a wave of emotion which gripped me. I knew as soon as I opened my mouth the words would be unintelligible for the sobs.

What was I crying about?
What made me feel such emotion?

Well, before I tell the rest of the story, you need to know something about me: I’m a heavy duty crier. I cry for basically any emotion that exists.

Think of an emotion in your head.
Any emotion.

Seriously.
Go ahead.

Do you have it in your mind?

I cry at that.

It’s ridiculous.

I often apologize for my tears because they seem so misplaced, but the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced I need to stop apologizing for who God made me to be: a tender-hearted soul.

Anyway…the rest of the story…

So here we are driving down the road, and I am seriously fighting back some big sobs.

Why?

Well, because I watched my husband teach his youngest son how to change the windshield wiper blades on the car the night before.

Confused yet?

Yea. The hubs was too.

Basically, I was touched by the privilege of being able to witness a dad teaching his son how to be a man. I’d watched it on Christmas Day too:

For Christmas the youngest received a BB gun. His older brother wanted to teach him how to load it; how to make it ready to fire; how best to hold it. It hit me that I was watching something incredibly beautiful: A father watching his oldest son teach his younger son how to do something he taught the eldest to do not too terribly long ago.

It sounds silly to say I was proud, and honored, and privileged to get to witness such pivotal moments. I’m tearing up even now as I remember it [yes, seriously].

I wish I had some spiritual insight for you today, but I don’t. I mainly wanted to share with you part of the joy I have of being a bonus mom. Not even a year ago, I didn’t get to observe such things, or maybe I didn’t pay attention to them.

Maybe you’re a parent worn down by the demands of life.
Maybe you’re a bonus mom too who beats herself up trying to figure out how to do this bonus parenting business.
Maybe you’re single and know exactly what I’m talking about from watching nieces or nephews or cousins.

Whatever your situation, I hope you have moments where you step back and observe the ordinary become extraordinarily beautiful.