Kite Flying - Thoughts on Flying High and Plummeted to the Ground

I think he saw it on Kipper.  Kites.  And wouldn't stop talking about it until we went to the store and got one.

And then wouldn't stop asking about it until we ripped open the package and freed it into the sky and the wind.

It kept his attention for all of five minutes, but the kites gave me hours of entertainment, relaxation, and times of meditation.

Something about watching something so light have so much power and height made me think.  Something about listening to the wind whip through the tails caused me to feel.

That little kite submitted itself to the wind.  If the wind blew to the left, that little kite swerved.  If the wind died down, a plummeting nose dive soon followed.

Yet, the majority of the time, it was so relaxed up there.  Just floating.  Letting the wind do the work.  And I heard God ask me, Why do you not let me do the work in your life? And I realize all the times that I fight God.  That I resist the direction He takes me.  That instead of a kite in the wind, I'm a salmon swimming upstream - against the current.  His current.  His plan.

And to feel.  To feel peace.  To forget worry.  To rest.  To experience His love.  To float.  To live.

He speaks again.  Why do you not just rest?  Rest?  What about my surmounting "to-do" list?  What about teaching my kids their letters and manners?  What about my business?  What about death?  And pain?

It could all be gone tomorrow.  They could all be gone tomorrow.  All of it could.  And there is nothing I can do about that.  But I can have peace.  Experience peace.  Know peace.

Peace that doesn't make sense.  And the sooner I stop trying to understand God and just experience Him, the better it will be.

Because God doesn't make sense.  Bad things happen to good people.  Young mothers are taken too soon. Children get hit by moving cars and could be gone before they were ever really here.  And God is good?  Yes.  God is good.

We can't know His plan or His reasons.  And, for me, it's better to just surrender to that.  Not as a escape or an excuse to make me feel better.  But to allow me to move on and to see the good.  To see people rallying together that otherwise would not.  To see brevity and the mist that life is - and embrace it.  Each minute.

Each smile. 

Because the wind may die down and there is nothing we can do except plummet to the ground.  And somehow, that is exactly in His plan.

 

PS... Word to the wise.  Since I'm not an expert in kite flying, I have lots of advice to give.  Tip #1:  Watch where you're running.  Especially when running backwards to coax your kite to embrace the wind.  There might be a drain just waiting to swallow you.  Embarrassed {yet painful} laughter will ensue... along with days of soreness.

Yep.  That's the drain.  Taller than my 15 month old.  My leg went right through those holes and my body did a terrible twist and tumble - landing in what I'm sure resembled the chalk outline of a dead body.  How's that for lightening up a serious post?

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My Children's Summer Initiation

In our little 2 square mile town, there are at least 17 ice-cream trucks.  Most of them looking a little sketchy.  Most of them run by recent immigrants to America who are just trying to make a living.

So far, I have held back on letting my little ones in on the secret of the "creepy music".  I'm not sure I want them to have a salivating Pavlov's dog reaction to the tiny tinkering of "Pop Goes the Weasel".  And I definitely haven't wanted to deal with the incessant whining or begging for the sweet stuff each time one of the 17 trucks drives by.

But I knew that at some point, I would have to introduce them to the sure sign of summer.  And today was the day.

When we heard the music signaling a cold, tasty treat, I ran up to get our change jar.  And we scrounged up $4.

The truck finally pulled up and we asked for four vanilla ice-cream cones.

It was just as perfect as I imagined: four sweet, innocent kids sitting down on the steps of the neighborhood bar eating icecream.  ;)  Oh dear.  {Have I ever mentioned that our little town is also known for the coolest bars?  Yep.  Go Hamtramck.}

It was Clara's first time to hold her own ice-cream cone.

And she only de-coned it once.

Which we quickly picked up and put right back on top.  Ten second rule... don't judge.  {Hubby would like to point out that he scraped off the part that touched the ground... as if that makes it much better}.  In any case, we avoided a serious meltdown on the steps of the bar.  One those steps are probably used to seeing, though - so I'm sure they wouldn't have minded.

And in full Hamtramck style, these colorful women walked by and reminded me once again at how amazing it is to have the world living in our small little town.  And how wonderful it is when the world is out walking the streets together in the warmth of summer.

And our perfect "Welcome to Summer" event ended with another summer initiation:  the skinned knee.

Welcome Summer!

 

 
 

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Not a Happy Mother's Day for Everyone... {Alice Hansen Family Fund}

It is Mother's Day tomorrow and I can't help but be reminded of the pain that this day brings to many.  Especially reminded of it this year.

Last week, my friend Heidi and her family went through something so painful and unimaginable that my mind and heart are still at war about it.  Her beautiful sister in law Alice gave birth to a sweet baby girl after having two rambunctious boys at home.  A few days later, she (the mom) died of an infection.

I literally cannot stop thinking about her.  I cannot stop thinking about the massive life changes that are going on in that family.  A husband - without his wife.  A dad - left to raise three kids alone... including a newborn.  A baby girl - who will never know her mother.  And two boys who will barely remember her.

How is this fair?  What is God's purpose in doing this?  Why so much pain?

I'm not here with answers.  I don't have any.  My heart wrenches and twists when I think about those sweet kids without their mama.  What do you say when the boys start asking where she is?  How do you respond to the newborn cries of hunger - knowing that Alice should be going through the excruciating first weeks of breastfeeding and bonding.

How do you marry God's faithfulness and goodness with these tragedies?

The blogging community has amazed me with their generosity.  Heidi has a donation button up on her page that I know many have contributed to - to help with the hospital bills and funeral costs.  And Expressions Vinyl has promised to donate $1 for every like on this post (up to $3,000) to give to Alice's family.  Please take a few seconds to click the link and hit "like".  So simple.

Visit Heidi's page for more details and pictures of this beautiful angel.

May I suggest that you just hug your little ones and spouses a little tighter today?  Maybe turn off the computer and shut down your phone for some uninterrupted time together?  Life is so short - and so precious.  We are not guaranteed any more time together than this moment.  Cherish it.