Archives for August 2006

There have been times with each of you, in my career as your mother, when confronted by a small and screaming face, I have pictured putting the child attached to it, into a large basket and placing you on someone else’s doorstep.

And then there are the times when I have seen a red and contorted face, heard the pitched and shrieking cry and my heart has surged as I open my arms to embrace you. Kissing your pathetic face I have tasted the salt and felt the wetness of your tears. In these moments, in the face of your sorrow, I find I am suffused with joy. With every heartbeat I fill with gratitude and every counter beat with wonder that I get to be the one to console, that I am the one to comfort, that I am succor to, you.

Tonight we had dinner, “all family of us” as Lydia used to say. We have had a lot of company, David and Paul have been gone and then our dining room is dark so we tend to eat outside which means at several tables. Tonight it was all of us. It was rainy and several of us had been sick. Torey had the strength to shop. I had the strength to cook and she mustered some more to set the table.

We had spaghetti with garlic bread and salad. Right before we ate Torey asked, “Should I make some garlic bread?”

“It’s in the oven.” I said. She gasped with pleasure.

At the table, Christopher was quiet and serene. This is one of his favorite meals so he was busy eating. The Legumes were both quite talkative, their constant chatter weaving over and through the conversations.

David mentioned it first, “It’s been a really long time since we were all together.”

We discussed all the reasons and agreed it was good to be around one table. Looking around at my brother-in-law, my sister, my neice, my daughter, my little girl, my husband and my son – the beauty of them – my heart filled with joy.

It was good to be in the blessing and for all of us to know it.

And then the men cleaned up.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2006/08/901/

Paul had a departmental kickball game yesterday. His department took on legal. As his office is not far I threw the kids in the van to watch for a bit. There needed to be a record of a 37 year old man planning kickball with a bunch of other adults.

Getting ready to take some pictures I realized that the batteries I thought were charged were not.

Oh the humanity!

Other than the large scrape on his right knee there is no record of the event.