Above No One’s Pay Grade

The truth is NEVER above anyone’s pay grade.

Barrack Obama says he will not yield on this fundamental issue — that is, what is supposed to be a woman’s right to choose.  I am not an American, but am very concerned about this struggle between a culture of life and a culture of death in the United States of America.  I am concerned as a woman and a mother — as a human being.

The sanctity of life is profoundly fundamental.  This obvious disregard for the life of those who are helpless and most vulnerable can only lead to a slippery slope of others who would be considered useless and disposable.  We — whether American or otherwise — should be concerned about what is happening in the U.S.  It is human life that is at stake — and those that are the future, not only the United States but, of the world itself.

A child is entitled to human rights from the moment of conception.  That is the truth.

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A Good Parent’s Third Priority

This is the third installment of “Putting Family First”, posted here for easier access.  The first part of the article can be found on a separate page on this blog.

Leading By Example

In taking care of ourselves, we thus become an example to our children of how one should treat oneself and others and why; how to manage our work and handle stress; and how to be a good friend.  We are our best examples to our children of the kind of adults which we are trying to raise them to be.  We can, after all, admonish our children all we want but it is that which they see us do that they will emulate.  This leads us to the third priority of a good parent:  the children.  We must, however, see this order of priorities not so much in place value but in the light of the fact that the children come because of husband and wife.

It is the children that really benefit from the strength and soundness of their parents’ loving marriage.  The family, thus, becomes the child’s refuge of learning, nurturing, education and loving.

In the World, Not Worldly

Our goal, as parents, is to love, nurture and teach our children to become responsible and loving men and women of character in the middle of the world.  We don’t want them holed up in some bubble, ignorant and clueless.  They are members of the human race and should be part of the rest of the world.  The only difference is that our family and our home is within which they are taught about life, people and the world, and where they can find solace and a true sense of what it means to love and be loved.  We should not coddle them or hide them from the world.

We need to get to know each one of them as individuals, with unique personalities and characters.  To be genuinely interested in them does not mean being obsessive or stifling in our attention.  We, as mothers, should remember not to smother.  They do not have to and should not be stuck to our side as if they were super-glued on.  They are separate persons and certainly not our clones.

We pass onto them those things, which are important to us – our values, wisdom and faith – through our traditions, customs and rituals within the family.  We should make the effort to share our life with them and not just “manage” or order them around.  They will get to know us on a deeper level when they learn of our childhood memories, our joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams and how we have overcome adversities.  In allowing them to get to know us, they realize that their parents are not just these people they call “mom” and “dad”.  They see our struggles and what we do in order to overcome challenges.

We need to spend time with them, doing both ordinary and special things:  to pray together, celebrate together, to share good and bad times together.  We cannot put off time with them as if we will always have tomorrow.  When the opportunities we let pass by go the way of yesterday’s what-ifs, we would have foregone chances to get to know and to love these most special people who have been entrusted to us as our children.  Our children need material things much, much less than they need our time and love.  We must make every effort to take this to heart because the world is full of propaganda aimed at convincing us of the need to get more money to buy more and more things and indulge in pleasures.

Our children need to hear us say that we will love them no matter what – that there is nothing that they could ever do that would make us stop loving them.  This is a powerful statement that speaks to them about the kind of love that does not impose conditions or sanctions.  It will act as a beacon to them in those moments when they find they have fallen, made mistakes and feel helpless.  They know they can always turn to us, their parents, for our love.

Life Lessons Worth Learning

It is very easy to feel lacking as a parent when it seems like every kid on the block (and their cousin) is enrolled in this or that after-school class or activity.  I know it because I have struggled with it many times.  Are our children really any worse for not having been able to take piano, singing, soccer, hockey, swimming, ballet or art lessons?  Are we much less for not going on vacations or to the cottage every summer?  I can assure you that while these extra-curricular activities and trips may very well be educational and beneficial, they are not the be-all and end-all of character formation.  In fact, if we stop to consider the really important things we need to teach our children, we will soon realize that the ordinary circumstances of life already provide us with ample opportunities for these lessons worth learning.

These are some of those life lessons we should teach our children about:

• To appreciate the world and be grateful for it, without subscribing to the selfish values promoted within it:  materialism, consumerism, individualism;
• How to use our freedom well and to make decisions by using critical thinking and a sense of responsibility;
• To do our work well, to serve others through the work we do and that to serve is a good and honourable thing to do;
• To foster an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of true generosity;
• To be sincere in all things;
• To foster true hope – not just optimism – and to inspire hope in others;
• To treat every person with dignity:  young and old, rich or poor, male and female;
• With consideration for the child’s age and experience, we do not shy away from talking about these realities which are a normal and necessary part of life;
• Love is not just about feelings, hugs and kisses, but more importantly it is an act of the will – a verb, an action word;
• To know how to forgive, which is an act of the will, and to ask for forgiveness, which is an act of love and humility.

Foundational Framework

It’s fine enough to talk about the things we want our children to learn and what we want them to be when they grow up.  But how do we do it?  Is there some super sophisticated mathematical or scientific formula that we apply to our family situation to make everything happen automatically and perfectly?  The short answer is no.

There is nothing automatic or even perfect about families because we, as human beings, have a free will to decide and act on our decisions.  We are not robots; our lives are not pre-destined.  The beauty of this is that we can do something and not just sit back consigned to our fate.  In getting to know and understanding each and every member of our family, we are able to create a framework of traditions, customs, rituals, routines and rules that are founded on our family’s unique identity, character and dynamics.  It is within this framework that we are able to establish and impart those values, which are important to the family.

Far from being tiresome, boring or dictatorial, this structure will in fact liberate and empower us to do achieve our goals as a family.  It enables us to move forward with purpose and direction, rather than haphazardly and indecisively.  It allows us to say no to those things that take us away or have nothing to do with our family’s overall mission.

These traditions, customs and rituals within the family – whether those from when we were children ourselves, or newly-established ones – have the power to strengthen the ties that bind the family together.  These give each member of the family a sense of what is familiar, thereby providing a sense of security.  We human beings are creatures of habit, after all.  These rituals can be as simple as the making and serving of coffee in the morning, or spending some time with each child by their side at bedtime.

This framework of family life provides many chances to be together as a family while helping and being with each other.  A history is constantly being created on which the family builds a stronghold of loving support and nurturing to draw upon in moments of adversity.  Loving traditions and customs create good memories on which to look back to with fondness and encourage us to hope for the future.  Birthdays become a time to recognize and appreciate a unique member of the family.  Anniversaries mark important milestones in the family’s life.  Special occasions, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, family trips and vacations are cherished moments to celebrate together.

Even the family meal — in which the preparation of the meal, the setting of the table, the consideration for preferences and manners at table, and the conversations that many times will seem to almost flow into each other — all make up what has become an important family ritual.  By doing all these things as a family, we create an atmosphere for our children and ourselves that is alive and vibrant, considerate of each member of the family and the family as a whole.  In teaching our children about unconditional love, we don’t just tell them we love them – we are showing them so.

Postscript:  Reality Check

Having said all this, we must be aware that in life there are no real guarantees.  The story of our lives is still being written – by us – and lived out day by day.  We must learn how to live one day at a time.  We have enough cares for one day without having to worry about tomorrow and the day after.  And although there are no guarantees, the ending has not been determined or set.  It is still to come in due time.

In the meantime, we must learn to live our lives to the fullest, living in the moment and doing our best.  Now is the only moment we can really do anything about, for the past if over and done, and the future is yet to come.  When you are with your husband and children, be with them completely and unreservedly.

Mistakes happen and we must not be surprised at all when they do.  It is not wasted time or useless effort on our part.  These are the learning moments from which we pick up ourselves and simply begin again.  We are human beings, and therefore imperfect.  We cannot do everything, but we can do a lot.  And what we can do, we must do well.  As St. Josemaria Escriva said, “A lot depends on what you and I must do.” (The Way)

In July of 2006, our family suffered a second miscarriage, which made my next pregnancy (in November 2006) that much more special.  When I shared the special news of the baby-to-come with our seven-year old son and asked him to just keep it within the family for the moment, he looked at me with a clearly concerned expression on his face and said, “But shouldn’t we be telling people so that they can pray for the baby not to die?” Right there and then, I knew this young son of ours loved his family and every single member, young and old, seen and unseen.  He knew what mattered, what was important and the power of coming together as a family.

So, when you find yourself — at any given time of the day, but especially at night — tired, frustrated, anxious, worried or stressed out – take heart and do not lose your peace.  There will be days when you feel as if nothing is going right.  There will be nights when you can hardly sleep for worrying about a problem.  There will be times that you feel so tired and worn out.  Know that if you are doing your best and giving yourself fully to the tasks and moments at hand, then ultimately everything works out for the good.  It may not seem so, but it does.

As successful American businessman Lee Iacoca put it, “The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family.” We must not ever lose hope.  Our efforts are worth it.  And there is always hope for those who love.

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Mission Possible: Putting Family First

On 3 May 2008, I gave a talk entitled, “Mission Possible:  Putting Family First“ at the Mom, You’re Incredible! event, which was sponsored by the Neeje Association for Women and Family.  I am posting an article based on the outline for that talk on this page.  Because of the length of the article, it will be published on this blog on the page “Putting Family First” in several parts over a period of two weeks.

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For Love and the Glory of God

My children have recently discovered the game of badminton. Thanks to a sale at Canadian Tire, we are now the owners of a badminton/volleyball set that originally came with four rackets. The set is now down to three sound ones and a fourth that is – sadly – quite broken. (This broken racket found itself accidentally whacked against the unsuspecting face of a seven year-old girl during a particularly exciting game.) Such is the way of the world in this big family of ours.I am typing out this entry on a picnic table in the shade of tree and the light of a sun that is not yet ready to set. The fifth boy (a.k.a. the baby & 8th kid) is sitting in his stroller behind me, entertaining himself with the toes on his very chubby foot.

There is a son sitting on the grass a few feet away from me, laying a claim to sheer boredom as he concentrates on trying to dig a hole in the ground with a stubby stick. The four oldest are playing badminton – three with proper rackets while one is — as far as I can tell — like a court jester of sorts. Don’t ask me how that works because I honestly don’t know. It must be working for them somehow because they are keeping score and there is a certain air of competitiveness about them. The two other girls are kind of walking about here and there, not trying too hard to stay out of trouble.

(The game in front of me is evolving. The court jester is now playing at being referee, picker-up of the birdie and the human badminton net. I have to say it looks far more exciting than a regular game and perhaps this should be further explored as a possible alternative to playing this game……….or not.)

How else could I have spent this afternoon of good weather better, I wonder? I sit here breathing in the good, clean air as a breeze makes the tree branches sway gently. I have seen countless number of airplanes in the sky off to some far off place. Would I have a more fulfilling afternoon in Europe or Africa? Would I have more exciting adventures in Asia or the Carribean? Would I have more important things to do if I were working in an office, rushing to meet deadlines, meeting with important people and making way more money than I do now which is – well…..nothing really?

Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (or the Jesuits). My alma mater is the Ateneo de Manila University which the Jesuits founded and run to this day. The Jesuits live out their vocation “for the greater glory of God” – ad majorem Dei gloriam. These are words that call to me, not only because of my Jesuit education but, because of the very clarity of its purpose and the love it professes for my Father in heaven.

What does my most spectacularly ordinary afternoon have to do with all this? At first glance, it would seem as if we spent a day of lazy pleasure outdoors for wont of something better to do. The truth could not be farther from this. This is an afternoon spent doing the kind of “work” I as a mother am so privileged to be doing — and it is for the greater glory of God. Humanly speaking, what do I stand to gain by this afternoon: a nice pile of dirty clothes, most of which will likely have grass stains; a passel of sun-kissed and breathless children who all very badly need a bath; a whole lot of “stuff” that need to be loaded in the tan van and then unloaded by a very tired and unenthusiastic crew at home.

Kid #8, Boy #5

In fact, all I have to do is to look at each child and see the very real proof of divine Providence at work. This is important work, indeed! Learning about each other and about life without even realizing it is a tremendous gift. This afternoon, my children and I spent several glorious hours of being together as a family of unique individuals. We looked around at the beauty of the garden we were in a wished that my husband was with us. The children played volleyball, badminton and soccer with great enthusiasm and – sometimes – one or two bruised egos. I asked each child to take a turn in pushing their baby brother’s stroller around the garden path and the requests were not always met with a smile. But walk around the garden path they did, pushing their baby brother’s stroller dutifully. In this short afternoon, we’ve dealt with happy shouts of victory and not so happy shouts of protests; badminton birdies stuck in a tree and a soccer ball gone AWOL for a brief moment in a dense cluster of trees; sullen looks of disappointment at not getting what one wanted — and a quiet realization that being the grump of the group just isn’t fun.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or one who is working full time and then having to rush home to get dinner on the table, know that you are where you are because what you do and who you are makes every bit of difference to those who are around you. You are where you are for a reason – not because of fate or destiny or random luck.

Do you ever wish you were off somewhere else doing something more exciting than whatever it is you’re doing? Don’t. Be where you are because it is where you are needed and where you belong. Do what you do for love and for the greater glory of God.

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Chronicles of a Mama

If you’ve cared to look for something new on this blog for the past two and a half weeks — I must apologize for not having posted anything at all. I didn’t fall off the face of the earth. I’m still here and am just finding my way back to blogging after being immersed in one adventure after another these past few weeks. I’m telling you the truth: Indiana Jones has NOTHING on mothers and the things we do!

This little girl you see in this picture is Daughter #3 who has been undergoing a most rigorous and intensive program of self-discipline involving the body and the will with our assistance and encouragement. Simply put, she has been toilet-training….or at least she is now mostly toilet-trained. At first, it seemed as if she was training us rather than we training her. Barely three days into the process of toilet-training, our family left for a road trip to Ottawa, about five hours away by car. It would have been so much easier to just put a diaper on her — but we resisted the temptation. It is three weeks since we started and she is — for the most part — disciplined enough during the day to make those very necessary trips to the bathroom when the need arises. This is quite a milestone for her and we are all very happy about it!

Our thirteen-year old daughter (Daughter #1) has also recently reached a milestone of a very different nature — a spiritual one. On May 7th, together with about 60 or so other young teens, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation at our parish. This is the final rite of initiation to the Catholic church. (The photo shows my daughter with our energetic parish priest, Fr. Vid.) I watched from the back of the church, holding onto the hand of a fidgety three-year old who had just been to the bathroom. Suddenly, my mind seemed to hurtle back in time nearly nine years ago to the day I watched this same child fall in line with other 5 year-olds on the first day of kindergarten. I had cried then, albeit briefly, feeling the poignancy of the moment. The same feelings came back, as I witnessed my daughter’s maturity over the years and thanked God for the immense privilege of having been blessed with her and her siblings.

Within these past weeks, our middle daughter (Daughter #2) also celebrated a milestone — she turned seven years old! This little girl, whom we prayed for and asked God to bless us with, was all of seven years old last May 1st. What a wondrous age seven is! She is now able to read quite a bit and loves to write up little notes for different members of the family. She has several friends, but I think her siblings are numbered among the best. She is a burst of sunshine and boundless energy, and is quite precious to us.

Each child in our family is allowed to invite friends to a bigger party to celebrate the birthday only on his or her 7th and 13th birthdays. (You can imagine how nutty it would be if we did this for every single child on every single birthday……not to mention expensive…..) So this seven-year old girl will be having a proper garden tea party with some very special girl friends who will be asked to come in their very best party dress. That will happen as soon as our party planner (a.k.a. Mom) gets her act together and organizes the whole thing.

In the meantime, we did celebrate her birthday with our family’s traditional “birthday cake” (chocolate cake with fudgy filling and whipped cream frosting), followed by the opening of presents. Here is part of the gang of siblings posing with the the traditional birthday cake (baked from scratch by Daughter #1, frosted with love by Mom):

(Note the general sense of gaiety and celebration made somewhat surreal by the presence of a grenade — just plastic, folks…..– in the hand of our impish three year-old daughter. The birthday girl is wearing the Dora the Explorer shirt. The boys are Sons #4 — left side — and #3 — right side.)

Of course, before this image was captured, there was a bit of thrilling action caught by my husband (a.k.a. The Cool Photographer), as you can see below: (Note his determined look and the toy pizza slice this little infant wonder is clutching in his left hand as he makes a grab with his right hand for the birthday cake his sister hasn’t even cut into!)

In between celebrations and training programs, I managed to give a talk at the “Mom You’re Incredible” event in Ottawa last May 3rd, got together with some very good and much-missed friends, went on a road trip with the family, did a bit of demo-cooking, went here, there and feel like I’ve been everywhere!

There are no better adventures I know than the ones you find within life with the family.

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Home Sweet-smelling Home

Our home smells amazingly good right now. I finished baking these potato pies called pirojki, the recipe of which I got from the blog of Farida, a very personable young mother from Azerbaijan. I had my children kind of roaming around earlier, hoping for some of the pies. I let them each have a half since I did not want them to spoil their appetite for dinner.

The pastry dough came together quite easily and baked beautifully. Before putting them in the oven, I brushed each pie top with beaten eggyolk, according to the recipe. The finished product looks golden brown and smells oh-so-good!

I have to kick myself mentally, though. I was so thrilled to see the pirojki that I immediately made up my mind to take photos and post these on this blog. I got the camera out and turned it on…….only to discover that the battery was dead. Aaaarrrrggghh! Anyway, you will have to trust me on this for now: they are beautiful savoury pastries that have a light slightly bready crust and a flavourful potato filling. I would not mind having one or two for a snack.

If you haven’t baked anything lately, consider doing so for the sake of having extremely happy children milling around the kitchen, hoping against hope they can be allowed to taste the result of your culinary efforts. It does not have to be complicated. It doesn’t matter if it is a cake mix from a box. Just bake. Open the windows and let the lovely smells of home baking spill out into the neighborhood. Bring a smile to your children’s faces and help put a sparkle in your husband’s eye when he sees something sweet for dessert.

It’s amazing what a little home baking can do!

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A Taste of Paradise

A sense of gratitude and appreciation for other people’s work and help is so important. It is, unfortunately, not encouraged enough these days. It’s almost as if a lot of people go around with this attitude or belief that they deserve good things and only good things. And since they deserve it, they do not need to say thank you.

So when someone actually shows their appreciation for a service or help you’ve given, it almost startles you…..or at least makes you smile.

For dinner tonight, I cooked some burgers from the butcher in the oven. I fried up some eggs and set each one on a burger. This burger composition was completed with some brown gravy ladled all over it and served with oven-fried potatoes. It had been a long, busy day and truthfully, I did not feel like going through the whole exercise of getting all this food ready. But I had promised my boys this dish and I did not want to disappoint them.

Everyone was quite hungry and the first part of our meal was a bit on the quiet side. They seemed to enjoy the meal and I was gratified until……

My taste buds are taking a walk in paradise tonight!

That was child number 4 (son #3 who is officially 9 years and 359 days old) who said that with a big, goofy smile on his face and a smudge of gravy on his lips.

Ahhhhh! Talk about gratitude and appreciation! Gotta love that kid!

I was gratified before; I was supremely pleased and grateful then.

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Slightly Random Musings on a Sunday Afternoon

Two hours ago, my feet were icy cold. As I compose this blog entry, I am in our basement trying to stay warm in an old, grey sweater (my kids say it looks like a bathrobe….I think it looks chic…..) and someone’s thick, beige socks (definitely NOT chic). I say “someone” because no one had ever laid claim to these particular pair of socks — until I finally did when I couldn’t find a pair I recognized as my own. These warm, fuzzy socks that had once been relegated to the bag of abandoned socks (yes, one actually exists in our home) are now keeping my toes nice and comfortable. Now, I am quite grateful for these socks. They provide me with the warmth that my more fashionable yet sadly thinner socks couldn’t.

That gets me thinking about other things that aren’t fashionable or chic or trendy, yet prove their worth so many times over in the real world. The aforementioned grey sweater I wear at this very minute may not make anyone else’s top ten list of must-haves in their wardrobe, but it is a prized item in mine. It is big and long enough to cover me up on chilly and downright cold days (like today) regardless of my body size. By that I mean whether I am pregnant, not pregnant but sporting post-natal fat or just plain not pregnant. It’s definitely not trendy, but I don’t mind. It’s a definite keeper.

You know what else is unfashionable? Staying at home with the kids on a Sunday afternoon — which is what I am doing right now as I continue typing this up while wearing my favourite sweater and extremely useful thick socks. My eldest daughter is at a birthday party. My husband had to run some errands and has the three oldest boys. Which leaves me with the four youngest children. Right now, the next oldest person after me in this house is my eight-year old son. He’s trying to construct a “tent” on the futon with his comforter. My 6-year old daughter is wearing a skirt fashioned out of a bathrobe (they’re very creative this way), playing pretend with the 6-month old baby boy who’s unaware of his role as a “pretend baby”. The three-year old girl is trying to figure out a way to fashion a tent out of 1 pillow and a toddler-size comforter — to no avail. But she will not stop trying and I have to give her points for perseverance, really. Right now, this part of our basement looks like a mini construction site of condo-tents for little people.

What is the purpose served by staying home with the kids on a Sunday afternoon, you might ask? Why aren’t we skiing or ice-skating or sipping mugs of hot cocoa while happily counting marshmallows around the dining table? Well, we don’t ski (don’t know how to and it’s too expensive). I don’t skate (would love to but have a bad knee — long story). And the hot cocoa scenario with four children, ages 8 and under, only works if you have 8 arms, non-staining cocoa and can move around like Flash. None of that applies to me, and so we find ourselves all together in the basement making do with what we have: an over-abundance of imagination (all of us), an enormous amount of energy (them), an opportunity to blog (that’s me), and a chunk of time to just be with each other.

See, I don’t think I appreciate these moments enough because they don’t involve activities that make my heart beat faster or my adrenaline rushing. We’re not doing anything new or amazing. In fact, it’s downright ordinary — and that is precisely the beauty of it all. After a week of rushing around from one thing to another, keeping to a tight schedule, trying to get this and that done, it is an absolute pleasure to be able to spend time with the family on a quiet Sunday afternoon. This time serves to give us the chance to re-connect with each other at a slower pace. This moment allows us to rest from work and enjoy each other’s company. It is an opportunity afforded to us by a day on which we, as Christians, keep the Lord’s day holy.

There is always that temptation to try and do something new and exciting, especially on the weekend. After all, we mostly live our lives in ordinary time, doing mostly ordinary things. But even on a Sunday, when there aren’t too many thrills to go around, these same ordinary things take on extraordinary meaning because they are done for and with those whom we love and care.

As I end this entry, a drama involving an odd assortment of stuffed animals — including three bears, a walrus and Baby Bop — and the made-up voices of my 8-year old son is unfolding behind me. The tents have been abandoned by the girls — for now — in favour of playing the role of audience to their brother’s soap operatic attempts. The baby has fallen asleep in my arms. (Another reason for me to end this entry…..) Altogether, it has been a pretty good Sunday afternoon — a definite keeper.

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No Flowers Please

It was a good day today. No heart-shaped cards or flowers or chocolate-covered cherries in candy boxes. No candlelit dinners or romantic music playing in the background. It was perfect.

I don’t know about you, but I do not care for the hype that the commercialization of occasions such as Valentine’s day invites. In previous years, going out for dinner on February 14 meant having to deal with traffic, parking in crowded lots, waiting in line and overpriced meals. Ugh. Who needs all that to be with the one they love?

This morning, being the man that he is, my husband gave me what I know to be proof of his true love: a cup of hot, steaming, fresh coffee. There is nothing I want more at 6:15 in the morning as I sleepily try to start my day with both eyes open than my caffeine fix, and my husband knows this. I am so blessed to have this man in my life.

The truth is we both forgot it was Valentine’s day. He called me up about ten minutes after having left for work to greet me belatedly — after having been reminded by a co-worker who rides with him in the morning. I was grateful for the reminder as it had slipped my mind. My six-year old daughter handed me a red lollipop with a small, heart-shaped card she had made. It was a great start to my morning.

It got even better when I had lunch with some girl friends. It was a long overdue get-together. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of listening and a lot of talking. I looked at each one of them earlier and was struck by how different we all were, and yet we shared the same spirit and outlook in life. We connect on a level of friendship where we look out for each other. It was certainly worth the drive to Toronto!

I thought it would be a restful and slow evening, but was reminded by my nine-year old son that it was their night to go to their chess club. Tonight turned out to be a fast dinner (thanks to whoever invented microwaveable rice cookers!) but not an unpleasant one. I looked around the table and was happy to be with my children, eating pot roast and hearing them tell stories. And they have so very many! So in a way, I suppose, you could say I had a quiet dinner. I was quiet, but my children weren’t — and I didn’t really mind it tonight. It was nice.

After hungrily eating dinner, my husband had to pick up the kids from their chess club. Before leaving, he said he just had to rush by Costco for something before coming home. I looked at him and knew what he was going to do.

“Please don’t get me any flowers. Really. I don’t want any.”

I knew he was feeling a bit guilty for not getting me a gift or card, but he shouldn’t have.

“I was so happy today,” I told him truthfully. “I did what I had to do, I was with people I wanted to be with, and we have a movie we can watch tonight. Please don’t get me flowers. That’s just too commercial.”

My sweet, tired but happy husband smiled. Today was indeed a great day.

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Highly Recommended — Batteries Not Needed

I’d like you to meet my daughter Isabel. She is 6 years, 7 months and 22 days old, and was born after we had had four of her brothers in succession. You can imagine how thrilled we were at the birth of a girl after years of hoping for another one. My eldest child, Kathrine, had been the only girl until Isabel was born. She, more than anyone else, had been praying and wishing for a girl.

Notwithstanding the fact that I happen to be the mother, Isabel is a beautiful child. More than just physical attributes, I am referring to how she is inside. She likes hugs — loves to get them and loves to give them away. At church, she opens up the hymnal to whatever song is being sung and holds the book open for me. I, in turn, point out the words to her as they are sung. She will make a point of tucking in the label of whatever top I am wearing if it happens to show. She’s quite thoughtful that way. Isabel also has a great memory. If she hears something enough times, she’ll remember it. She also recalls certain things that a person might have mentioned — a favourite food, a funny story or a preference for something or other. The information becomes useful in her trying to think of what the other person would like or what they may find funny.

I wanted you to meet Isabel because this afternoon, while preparing dinner, the baby cried. I was in the middle of trying to do three things at the same time (never a good thing, I know….) and couldn’t have done anything right at the moment. Isabel was nearby and heard the baby cry. She called out to me and asked if she could hold the baby. I told her she could, but she had to stay by the sofa. She was good about following my instructions.

Isabel had held the baby before, always with me in the same room. She has cuddled the little baby and has tried to soothe him many a time that he was crying. She knew what to do and what she couldn’t do. While she couldn’t walk around with the baby, she could certainly try to distract him by talking and singing to him. She tried to show him the gifts under our Christmas tree and was making comments about this or that package. After a bit, the baby had stopped crying and had let himself be properly entertained by his older sister.

When I’m tired and distracted by the mental to-do list that never seems to go away, it helps to consider each child that we have been blessed with in our family. Each one is different and unique — definitely their very own person. In Isabel’s case, she being the sixth had older siblings to look up to and to look after her. Having her older sister afforded her another girl to kind of follow around and learn from. Having four older brothers has helped her be active and interested in other things maybe most girls would not necessarily care for. (She has played goalie to her brothers who love ball hockey.) Having two younger siblings has allowed her the opportunity to be someone’s older sibling and care for them.

My husband and I firmly believe that the children we have are blessings from God. We didn’t “plan” them. They all came, one by one, when they were supposed to. Each one brought into our a family a measure of their character and a great deal of joy that I cannot find enough words to describe. I talk to you about Isabel because I realized, in listening to her care for her baby brother, that the best possible gift we could have ever given each of our children is a sibling. Another child. Another human being to care for.

Isabel does not have to be bored, unless she wants to be so. She has a siblings who can play-pretend with her, and several others who have made it their mission to teach her chess. (Chess is BIG among our kids.) She has siblings who can read her stories, others who can tell her stories. She has siblings who can make her laugh, others who may try to make her cry and so — at that moment — serve the purpose who providing Isabel with a human punching bag. (She packs a mean punch, I’ve been told.) And she has siblings she can care for as any little girl would do with a baby doll.

A baby: the best gift you could ever give your child. More fun than any toy you could possibly think of. Guaranteed.

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