About Easter Eggs

After substitute teaching every day last week, I caught a glimpse of my former life. For 3 years I worked full time at our busy church and Christian school (having worked one year part-time before that). As of last summer, I cut my hours (and my pay check) to work part-time again because I was just too "stressed out." Some women handle working full-time beautifully and do a great job managing work and home/family. I think of many I know who do it - and most have parents or extended family near by who help out a lot and support them. And others have a job they are passionate about and enjoy doing, which makes it worth it.

I tried, but I never did find that balance. For one thing, I'm not a people-person, and I had very little time to re-charge by being alone. For another thing, I'm not a very "high energy" person, so I am not naturally one to keep going and going and going without eventually having a break down. We were just too busy for my liking. My homebody tendencies just couldn't handle it!

A PAAS Easter Egg Kit sits behind a box (of junk like scissors, paper, tape, coupons) on my kitchen counter. That kit has been there for TWO YEARS!! Each April for the last 2 years, I promised my kids that we would color Easter eggs...and guess what? We didn't. I was too tired and too distracted and too busy to stop and color eggs. That makes me so sad. But this year, we WILL color those eggs!! We will make that memory. That is why I now work part-time, to have peace of mind and calm of home to focus on what is MOST important right now - my family. Children grow up way too fast.


While I realize in the light of eternity, it doesn't matter if we had colored Easter eggs as long as we worshipped the Risen Savior on Easter or if we hung pretty red hearts at Valentine's Day as long we said the words "I love you" to each other often - but for my children, I don't want a memory of a too-busy mom who didn't have time to stop and enjoy each moment, each special day, and each ordinary day.

It's amazing what hindsight does for a person!! Suddenly, I am the "older mom" with children who are 8 and 10 years old. They are no longer babies, very self-sufficient, much less needy; but they still need to be nurtured and taken care of. I can't believe as I look back that I've been out of high school for over 20 years, been married over 16 years, and my children are flying through elementary school very quickly. I have seen that I can't stop time, but I do now realize more than ever that we can make the most of each moment. I think that's one reason I enjoy blogging. I can stop and reflect on those precious, sometimes ordinary moments of a day and value that experience all over again. I can remember the things that were said or the feelings that were shared.

I am finding what is most important to ME again. I don't want too many regrets (I already have enough!). I don't want my children to grow up and leave me and I say, "I wish I had..." I know there will be some unfulfilled wishes, but I hope there will be more good memories of a happy childhood and parents who were available. I want my husband and my children to know they came FIRST over any job or any other person I had to help at the church. I don't want them to be selfishly spoiled, but I want them to know they are MY priority right now. They are my God-given responsibility. I asked God for a godly husband, and He answered! I begged him for many years for babies, and He answered! I am responsible to cherish His great blessings to me. He also gave me a great job that I am responsible for, but not at the expense of my family. The job will potentially still be there when my children are gone - but the time to raise my family is fleeting.

Obviously I'm in a very reflective mood today. My husband calls me "Melanconny" (a play on the word melancholy) when I get like this. It's not a depressed mood, it's just pensive and thoughtful. It's a time when it hits me that life is like a vapor just like the Bible says in the book of James (4:14). We can't stop time, but we can make the most of each moment. I want to be more aware of the little things that make those moments special, things like coloring Easter eggs.