Katie, Colton, Conner & Jeff

Katie, Colton, Conner & Jeff
My soul mate, Jeff, and Katie, Colton and Conner, the three gifts from God that call me "Mom"

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sundays in the South

Sundays have always held an extreme importance in my life.  Sundays are special everywhere--but especially in the South.  Worship.  Family dinners.  Fellowship dinners on the grounds.  Rocking chair talks.  Good times.  Much needed relaxation.  From the time I was a little girl, Sundays have meant family.  Family worshiping together.  Family meals together.  Family time--just being together.

In recent years, Sundays have taken on new meanings.  With Katie, now 22, living away from us in a group home, Sunday is her day with us.  Her day for coming home; chilling out; and eating bread.  Yes, that sounds odd, but it's true.  Several of her roommates deal with diabetes, so their carbohydrates are limited overall in the group meals.  So on Sunday, she gets to "break the bread" with us literally!  From "Sister Shuebert" rolls to biscuits, she dives right in!  The biggest bread binge yet was tonight--5 "Hungry Jack" biscuits with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and fried okra!  (Topped off with homemade oatmeal raisin cookies!!)  It does a "momma" good to see her babies eat, and Katie does just that!  She is such a blessing to us, and her joy, despite her disabilities, continues to strengthen my faith in God's plan for her, and for us, as her parents!

In recent weeks, Sundays mean Colton going back to college if he has come home for the weekend.  I don't believe that weekends have ever gone by so quickly, and this mom dreads Sunday evening because it means my boy is going back to west Tennessee.  I'm so very proud of him because he has oriented into college in an amazing way!  But, every time he leaves, a little piece of my heart goes with him.  The rest of my heart smiles for his accomplishments and the life he has before him. 

Tonight, Conner is still gone on a church trip, but we will be getting him in a couple of hours.  Mom's ready to see her baby, and I know he will have stories to tell from his retreat weekend!  But, the house is quiet for now.  The laughter that was here just a while ago is now silent.  So, my heart is a little sad; however, it is more glad than sad.  Glad that we have Sundays to worship the Father.  Glad that we have Sundays to be with family.  Glad that we have Sundays to recharge for the week ahead.  Glad that I have all the happy memories of Sundays past, and glad that I have the hope of many more Sundays in the future.  But most of all, glad that I had today--a particularly beautiful Sunday in the South!