8 Things

8 Things that money could never buy in my week this week.

1.  Money could never buy the joy in my heart when I saw my sweet girl run across campus to greet me. 

2.  Can’t put a price tag on a circle of moms standing in Sheila’s driveway holding hands praying for our children as they venture into new territory, and for us as we do the same.

3.  Whatever my friend Suzanne paid for the book she sent me- A Feather from my Nest by Beth Moore- it was a bargain.  It has been a great source of comfort to me.

4.  There was something very tender and dear about Shawn and I having the chance to move C back to school with just the three of us.  We don’t often get the chance to be together as just the three of us.  All of our hope and love could just be focused on him for that day which was restorative to me.

5.  The great sisterhood of mothers- several of my friends (and my sister) are also sending kids off to college for the first time this year, others are anxious and hopeful for this new school year for our kids still at home.  All of us have linked arms and are marching on through together.

6.  Being able to name my fear that I am losing my identity,  as so much of it has been wrapped up in being a mom.  Now that’s named and out there, I can start to re-vision who I am. 

7.  Seeing Kendra find her own ways of coping with her anxiety about life without S and C.

8.  I’m still standing.  A year ago we dropped C off at college, I turned, and fell through a trap door into a tunnel that didn’t open back up until February.  I was so so fearful that the hole would suck me in again when I took S.  Halfway home from taking her in the midst of crying I realized that as sad as I was, I was still right here.  I didn’t come into it this time already carrying layers and layers of grief.