Claimed

I love the books and movies by the author L.M. Montgomery, known for Anne of Green Gables. Somewhere in there, the main character (whom I fancy myself to be much more like than is true) says something to the affect of "there's a book of revelations in everyone's life." Today was one of those days where you're tired by 7am and the day just seems to go downhill from there. It was hectic and hurried... and then I received an email from a friend. As clear as day, I was able to open my book of revelations. Some people might say it's like looking into a mirror, but it was so much more clear than that... almost like watching a movie of things that haven't happend yet, but none-the-less, there you are, as the starring role.

Maybe we all need to be reminded of what our book says. Sometimes, between the dishes and the laundry and the dog and the kids and the... whatever, I forget. I forget that my kids are watching. I forget that they grow so fast. I forget that while they may not remember me making the cupcakes for the pre-school party, they will remember me being there. I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but sometimes, reality looks a bit different than the dream. Never, when I was a girl dreaming of having kids of my own, was mopping up a muddy floor from my toddler who just so happened to learn how to (with help from her trusty dog) shimmy the gate open just enough to go and play in the good ol' South African clay, a picture in my fantasy. Nor was doing an entire load of laundry because my son has a personal distain for all things clean and non sour-milk-smelling, something I thought of. I always pictured those "Hallmark" moments with the pristine children in their sparkling white clothes running off the playground into open arms as we hustle home to go share some hot chocolate and graham crackers while talking over the day. (Like I said, I was a GIRL in those dreamy days of old!) But then, when this friend emailed, I was suddenly reminded of why I wanted to do this job of "mom" in the first place. This may seem odd to some, and others may say, "but there has to be more" and perhaps, some day, there will be, but for now, my priority is to my family. My friend wrote: "being a mom is my raison d'etre." My Spanish is rusty, but my French is nearly non-existant, so I wikipedia-ed it (yes, I made up that word, but maybe it'll make it into the dictionary some day... just like "googled" and "tweet" made it in) Raison d'être is a phrase borrowed from French where it means "reason for being"; in English use, it also comes to suggest a degree of rationalization, as "The claimed reason for the existence of something or someone." "The claimed"... I love that. Yes, I'm a mom, but it's up to me to claim my kids, both for myself and for Christ. So while I'm sure this was too heavy (with not enough pictures I'm sure) for some, maybe, just maybe someone else will remember that we are here to claim as loved and for Love... our family, our friends, our loved ones, because we first, were claimed.