As I was getting off the phone with Robyn recently, she said "I'll talk to you again soon, go enjoy your kids." She's been so brave and so very strong, I've been amazed each time I've spoken with her, but that doesn't reduce or eliminate the stress and worry that I know my best friend is going through. Those words have stuck with me though: "Enjoy your kids." My being sad or moping isn't going to help Christopher get better, and it doesn't make it any easier on Robyn or Stephen either. Instead, what I need to do (and what we all need to do) is pray for him while being positive and hopeful, and also not take for granted the health of our own kids. We need to let the little frustrations go and break the unimportant rules now and then, cherish the special moments and be fully present. It's not hard to do that, but it's easy to get into a routine that doesn't support it. So this long weekend (we were off today for President's Day), we decided to stay home together, plug in less, and play with our kids more. We enjoyed going for walks in the neighborhood, riding bikes, swinging on the playset, collecting leaves and sticks and building a fire, putting puzzles together, drawing with chalk in the driveway, eating lazy late breakfasts, spoiling the kids with their favorite foods and treats, dancing and wrestling, coloring for hours at the kitchen table, teaching them random tidbits and encouraging their curiosity, snuggling on the couch for a few movies, reading extra books and singing extra songs, staying with them at naptime and bedtime until they fell asleep, or even snoozing alongside them, breathing in their sweetness while they cuddled tight in our arms and told us they loved us (is there any better feeling?!), and smiling when they ran upstairs squealing to join us in bed in the morning. It's been a wonderful weekend, slowing down and just enjoying each other. We need more weekends like this. We are so blessed to have these children.
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