Positive Retail Experience

I've read a lot of blog posts lately where people are venting about negative retail experiences. I figure in all fairness, I should probably share my positive experience from today. In early October, we bought a London Fog coat from Bon-Ton. About a week ago, the zipper on the coat broke. I still had the receipt for some reason, so I took the coat in and requested an exchange. I felt it was warranted, but didn't really expect to get it. The coat, although only 6 weeks old, showed obvious wear and very little love. I expected to leave there with nothing to show for it, but at least know that I tried, and end up paying to have someone put a new zipper in it for me.

But I left with a new coat! It made my day.

Adoption

I recently had a conversation with a woman regarding adoption. She is in the position where she and her husband have been discussing it as a possible option. However, she is afraid to pursue it. What if after they adopt, she and her husband are able to conceive? She is afraid that she won't love the child the same. She's heard of it happening and wonders, "Does it make a difference?" She's decided for herself that it would surely have to make some sort of difference. She longs to share that bond with a child that you can only experience when you carry that child. She wonders how anything could compare to that bond. She doesn't doubt that you can love an adopted child. She even acknowledges that you can love the child just as "much" for all outward appearance, but surely you feel something different for a child that you carried and bore. How could the adopted child bear to grow up faced with that difference every day?

I found myself wanting to share my experiences with her. I wanted to shout that of course you love them just as much. Doubts as to whether she would really be interested in my story kept me from sharing. For you see, I haven't ever really been in that situation. I've never adopted a child. My circumstances are similar, but it's not the same. Then a mutual acquaintance suggested that I might have some insight.

I told her that she's right, she would love the children differently. I have three biological children and I love each of them in different ways and have different emotional responses to each, but I'm sure any mother with more than one child has told her the same thing. However, I also have another child. She isn't mine. She will most likely never be mine, but she feels like she is mine all the same. And I do love her. Oh, how I love her. I didn't love her the moment that I first saw her - I didn't know that I would have to. But the time came when I realized that she needed someone to love her. She was 3 weeks old, tiny, sick and needed someone to put her first, ignore the risks and just open their heart...and I was the only mother in the room. I can't say that I freely did so, it was terrifying, but I did it all the same. I was her mother for 18 months, then I had to give her back.

I said that the cold, hard truth is that with every child, natural or adopted, you have to decide to love them. You simply have more time to do that before you meet the child with the children that you carry. In some cases, that is truly lucky for the child! (Let me tell you about the first few weeks with my middle child sometime!) But whether it is a magical moment when you first see the child or a gradually growing bond, in the end, love is love is love.

That isn't to say that I don't feel incredibly blessed that I was able to have children naturally. I do acknowledge that it is different. I enjoy seeing my husband, myself and other relatives reflected in my children. I was a big believer in nurture over nature in that age old debate, but many of those beliefs have been turned on their head as I saw facial expressions and personality traits that had to be inherited making an appearance.

But in the end, I don't love "my" children because they remind me of someone. I love them for who they are. And I love the child that isn't really "mine" for the same reason.

New Year's Resolutions

Everyone else is jumping ahead to Christmas and completely skipping over Thanksgiving. I'm trying to live in the moment, but am also guilty of skipping ahead myself...but a little farther ahead. After losing weight, the most common New Year's Resolution that I hear from friends and acquaintances is to get organized. I've been in a mood lately to declutter and get things back on track. I tried to take it easy and let it go...and I think we've gone a little too far. I could procrastinate and put this off until the New Year, but that's what got me into this mess. So instead, if I get started now (even if it's out of necessity - where ARE we going to hide those Christmas gifts?), perhaps I'll be done with mine before the new year even starts.

Summer's Close

My kids have two more weeks of summer before it's time to head back to school. Seems like it flew by, it was so full of week-long events. (VBS, camp, vacation, surgery) And it rained so much! It seems like there was little time left for those little moments. The moments where they can just cut loose and be kids and let the sun warm them over. Moments where they just feel so happy and content. That's what I wish for my kids these last two weeks. More moments like this...

And Now We Can Breathe...

We made it through the procedure with flying colors. Two days later and our biggest problem is keeping the kid off of his bike and off of our ceiling. I think it will still be a few weeks before I can rest easy, assured that there aren't going to be any complications...there sure was a long list of them and all "less than 1 to 2 percent" and it seems like all those "less than 1 to 2 percents" sure add up to something higher! But God is faithful and I am trying to relax. Maybe if I get back to my neglected garden it will help! ;)


Here's the kiddo about 36 hours post-op...back to his usual self.

Prayer Request

6 years ago, an ultrasound tech was looking nervous and re-doing images, trying not to let on that anything seemed amiss. Two months later, we had our baby boy and about two weeks after that, we found out that there had been something amiss. He had a small hole in his heart. We're finally going to be closing that hole on Tuesday. While we'll be glad to get this behind us, we (or at least I) will be needing some prayers for the next few days. Because as if that wasn't enough to be going on, my allergies are acting up and the weather is all screwy trying to trigger my migraines...and I have to be better because my baby needs me...this baby....because in my mind he's still only this big.

First Veggies of the Season!

We got our first veggies from the CSA today. I can't believe how much we got!

6 radishes (or turnips, but we chose radishes)
small handful of pea shoots (mmmmm! who knew?)
bunch of kale
2 heads of bok choy
1 head broccoli
3 heads of leaf lettuce
1/2 lb broccoli rabe
1/2 lb mizuna?
1/2 lb spinach
1 lb mixed greens (choice of baby tatsoi, arugula and 2 others...)
7 sprigs savory
2 sprigs sage
we also could have a baby bok choy, but there weren't enough for everyone and we have some of those in our garden here at home.

It's a much more promising start than I was anticipating. And the pea shoots were such a surprise. Can't wait to see what other surprises are in store. :)