Out of Sight

                                                                                                

See you later, Alligator.
IN A WHILE CROCODILE.
Out the door, Dinosaur.
CHOP, CHOP, LOLLIPOP.
See you soon, Baboon.
TAKE CARE, POLAR BEAR.
Give a hug, Ladybug.
in an hour, Sunflower.
MAYBE TWO, KANGAROO.
Better swish, Jellyfish.
CHOW, CHOW, BROWN COW.
Better shake, Rattlesnake.
BYE, BYE, BUTTERFLY.
Gotta go, Buffalo. 
LET'S JAM, SAM.
Blow a kiss, Goldfish.
BE SWEET, PARAKEET. 



Jack, our little grandson, likes to watch until you are out of sight when you leave after a visit.
He says "I watch you go".  He is two. He watches until your car is out of sight.

This brought back memories of different times, different places.

I remember my Grandmothers, when I was little, waving as we drove away.  It was so hard.  We lived in Michigan and they lived in Tennessee.  That was back in the time when there were long distance charges and you only got a phone call if there was a death or someone was near death.  The call was always bad/sad news.  So goodbyes were harder and longer.  Of course, these days I live by my grands.  If they lived far away I would have a hard time saying goodbyes too.



My brother got married when I was 10.  He moved to Indiana around that time.  We lived in Michigan, when they would come to visit we would wave and watch as they left.  As my nieces and nephew were added to the family it became even more poignant when they would leave.

As I got older and went to North Dakota.  It was so far away, leaving was really hard.  We moved around a lot, not even aware how it probably affected our families. 

I remember the last time I saw my Dad.  We were visiting and he left early in the morning while we were still in bed.  He came in and kissed me and Mandi good bye. She was just 9 months old.  He wanted to see her before he left.  We were moving to Grand Rapids, a few hours away. He was going to miss us. I didn't realize how much I was going to miss him.  That was the last time I saw him conscious.  He was in the hospital when I saw him next and than he was gone. That was a long time ago.

We have lived in Tennessee 22 years today.  We have had many good byes since being here.  Family coming and going.  I remember the girls being little and as Paul's parents left or others, we would stand outside on the lawn waving till they were out of sight.  This was mostly before we used computers and visits were few and far between.



The hardest goodbye now is when we leave my mother in law.  I know she misses Paul especially.  He is her oldest, her firstborn.  She has always been so strong.  But she tears up when we leave.  My heart hurts at her tears.  She tries to look brave.  She watches until we are out of sight.

Sometimes, in this crazy busy time we live in we forget how to say hello and how to say good bye. Watching till they are out of sight says things.  It says: you are important to me.  I will miss you.  You are in my heart. You and I.  Family. Friends. Love.  Connection. Belonging.  I have the time for you. 

So take a moment, or a few,  slow down and watch till they are out of sight.  It doesn't take but a few minutes maybe even seconds.  Let your actions speak loudly what your heart feels.

Gifts, Gifts, Gifts

Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a really good book. Actually he has wrote a lot of good books. But I digress. The book I'm thinking of is The 5 Love Languages. It tells how we each feel loved and give love in different ways.
 For instance, I feel loved by gifts. I wrote in another blog where my friend Ellen gave me wood colored, pre-sharpened pencils. They were one of my fav gifts ever. Another one that comes to mind is a cross necklace from my daughter and than son in law. I still feel loved when I wear it and it was given to me forever ago. I know she put a lot of thought in it. I can remember a quilt from my wedding shower, glasses with our initial W on them, a Doggie cookie jar. I loved them all.  Enjoyed them in my early years of marriage.  When I was a child my dear Aunt Tiny gave me a little perfume set. It was the only gift I remember from my aunts. People didn't give gifts as much than. I have a gazillion first cousins so it wasn't practical. But that year she gave me a gift. I have always remembered.   My Grandma gave me a little Golden Book Bible Story. I loved it. I don't remember other gifts from her. There were a lot of us. But I felt loved than. And  my oldest Mandi was given a beautiful bright red and blue knit blanket when she was born from Paul's Aunt Sandy. Aunt Sandy and Grandma Bauman came to visit us in one of the many places we have lived and she brought this blanket with primary colors and teddy bears. Everything else we had been given for Mandi had been soft pink, yellow or green. This was vibrant and different. We still have it.  Gifts are awesome.  I love them.  They make me smile.

There is a verse in Proverbs that says:
A gift in secret pacifies anger....

None of these gifts mentioned were given in secret or to pacify anger but what a neat concept.  It's one thing to give a gift out of love, to celebrate a wedding, a baby, a new home, Christmas.  But give one to pacify anger?  I'm assuming if there is anger that someone has a problem with someone else. And when you have a problem with someone the last thing I would think of would be giving them a gift.  But this is a way to deal with a problem that can't be resolved. I know someone that gave a gift anonymously to a couple they had a problem with and it all worked out.  They than were able to get along together well.  Amazing!  I think it is worth a try.  So next time you have a situation were there is anger and you can't seem to resolve it.  Give a gift!  In secret!    

Stories, Everyone has one

Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.  Lemoney  Snicket.

I have always loved stories.  I remember sitting in a big chair with my Mom reading from the Bible Story book. It had exquisite pictures. I remember my Dad and Uncles telling stories of how fast they drove to get back home to Tennessee.  And arguing over who drove there the quickest without getting a ticket.  But that's another post.  I loved hearing their stories and other's stories.  Every Sunday we were at one of my Uncles houses and there were stories of what happened since last week and what the neighbors were doing. What funny thing each had seen or done that week.   We were a loud, happy group always with a story.

And as a child I met many a friend in a book.  Huck Finn. The Happy Hollisters.  Nancy Drew.  The Little Red Hen.  Peter Pan.  The Cat in the Hat before the movie ruined him.  I joined in with them in their adventures.  I loved them truly with all my little girl heart.  Then there was those people on TV like Caption Kangaroo who told stories and had cartoons with stories.  I loved Davey and Goliath on the TV show.  I could go on an on.  

As I grew older I remember reading in the Detroit News the story Black Like Me.  It opened my eyes to a different point of view.  I read Dave Wilkerson's  The Cross and the Switchblade.   I saw there were problems in the world but God could help.  Autobiographies, biographies..stories lovely stories.  

As I said I LOVE them.  They make life better.  They teach truths without nagging.  They give your mind something worthwhile to think about so you won't be one of those people that gets BORED.  How can you be bored if you can remember a story that captivates you every time?

Also our stories, our families' stories, are important.  We are not really telling these stories.  For all the neatness of the internet, we are not talking with each other.  We aren't telling how Uncle Arnold's brother's cut down a tree with him in it.  (True story..haha)  We aren't telling what it was like to move to Detroit city from rural Tennessee or why we moved there.  We need to share our stories with each other.  How did you come to be a Christian?  How did you meet your husband or wife?  What did I look like as a baby?  I guess we need to become storytellers again.  And teach children to be curious and ask questions again.  We need to slow down and talk more.

So draw up a chair, grab some sweet tea or lemonade, put up your feet.  Let's sit together on His porch in the warm sunshine and share our hearts.  Let's share our stories.  Heart to heart.  What's new with you?  What's He done for you?  What other stories have you heard?  Let me tell you my story.  Let me tell you a story I've read.  Come with me on an adventure......  When I was a little girl.  I had a bike.  Her name was Cindy.  She was teal blue and Daddy got her from the Sears store when I was 7.  I had so many adventures on her.  She was like a story....a way to have adventures.  You just had to hop on and ride.  I hope you will hop on the storytelling vehicle and see where the adventure takes you.