You know those moments that take your heart and make it tighten up? It’s almost as if it starts coming through your throat, trying to push its way out through salty drops down your face?
This weekend, I had those moments… over and over and over again.
All of us were together, in one place, with no plans, no agenda, just each other.
The Plunkett Parents, The Hoehn’s, The Peurach’s, the Bell’s, and the cutest niece and nephew.
My little blond headed, blue eyed Ivory, joyful, spunky niece finally came to town for a visit, to meet her new “baby chusin”.
I walked through the doors of the home that raised me, and those sweet, chubby cheeks ran to me yelling “LaLa!”, giggling with excitement.
may the heart swelling begin…
I picked up that happy 2 year old, squeezed her little guts and and whispered “I love you Ray Girl”, she looked away, as if she hardly paid attention to what I said, and yelled out “I love OO LaLa!”
It was that moment, the first time in my relationship with her, that she spoke to me, without being told, without begging her to say a word, her sincere innocence erupted out without a second thought.
I looked all around me and saw beauty in the “ivories” of my life. They are just as rare as Ivory, hard to find, impossible to replace.
These people, this family I come from, they’re all mine. FULL of rarity, FULL of grace, and one of a kind.
I fall in love all over again every time I see them. There is never a moment of questioning the way we feel about each other. We are quirky, smart, goofy, obsessed with grilling ridiculous amounts of meat on the grill, and sitting around a table for hours belly laughing.
I walked into the living room of my parent’s house and sat down across from my mom. There are big decisions coming up in mine and my husband’s life, decisions that will drastically change our direction. I felt the *mama moment*. You know that moment? The one where all you really want is to hear your mama’s voice and look in her eyes and tell her all your dreams and biggest fears? This was that moment.
She looked at me and smiled, nodded, and listened as I poured my heart out on her living room floor. She looked at me, she smiled at me, and her whole being whispered ‘Remember where you came from, it will get you where you’re going’.
She knows what to say without saying it… It’s a mama thing I guess.
cue the throat swelling thing…
Dinner was had, coffee was sipped, endless conversations, and laughter erupted from the roof of 6464, our Zimbabwe brothers came over, and those ivories of mine once again captured my heart.
We are known. Every tear is tracked and every heartbeat heard by the One who set it into motion. Every moment is seen by the One who makes all things beautiful. From our first gasp of air til we last lay our head, He is with us. By our side. An advocate, a refuge, our strength and our song.
*stay tuned to see the direction we are taking with our coffee venture! And while you’re waiting for the next update, be sure to buy some Bell Blend 🙂 *
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