Meandering on a Monday

Today my sweet Baby Wright turned one. 

The third wearer of the birthday smock.

While this first major milestone is so precious to celebrate, it also brings out a bit of PTSD for her Mama. Unfortunately, bringing our precious Itty Bitty into the world differed from the births of our first two daughters as it was met with stress and anxiety and fear and loneliness and a serious amount of pain. Today as I've reflected on this same day one year ago, I've found that I've been feeling a little sad at all that moment in time was not. Rather than lingering in that place, I decided to engage in some therapy of the blogging and salted caramel hot chocolate variety.
Last Thursday, Carter came home from school and emphatically declared: "Well, I've figured it out. K doesn't like me!" Knowing that she had been curious as to this classmate's feelings towards her, I asked how she was certain. It turns out K had engaged in a little 'eenie, meenie, minie, moe, I don't like YOU' game. Upon hearing this, the fur stood straight up on my Mama Bear back, but Carter seemed to take the whole thing in stride.

Rock Star! moments after telling me the story.

The one action by the borderline bully that did send Carter into a tizzy was when she tore up my Nature Girl's leaf; nature destruction is crossing a line that she will not soon forget. I knew that having three daughters would, undoubtedly, bring with it lots of Mean Girl drama over the years, but I wasn't expecting it in Kinder! Carter and I talked about what makes a good friend and how she should choose her friends and agreed that it's much more fun to play with the kids who are nice to you. But, truth be told, I did have images of playing a little 'eenie, meenie, minie, moe' game of my own with little Ms. K during my next classroom volunteer session...
I try to think of my time in the car as mini vacations during my busy days, and a big part of this involves listening to talk radio. I love it all - from sports radio to Entertainment Weekly radio to local morning shows. Something I heard on Oprah radio recently really got me thinking. The various sides of the gay marriage debate were being discussed and a man opined something along the lines of: how do people use the argument that gay marriage will ruin the sanctity of heterosexual marriage while we live in country where people GET MARRIED - Say vows! -  Make sacred covenants! - after meeting on REALITY television shows?! I thought this was a great point, and it also made me laugh out loud.

Nothing says Happy Birthday! like a sample of rice pilaf.

Today as I was putting away my Trader Joe's haul {Current must-haves? Pretzel bread, cookie butter/cocoa swirl, ready to eat edamame, pumpkin bars} and Wrighty was ransacking my purse, I had The View on for background noise. During the 'Hot Topics' segment, the co-hosts were discussing Chris Brown's recent arrest (thanks to my religious following of RadarOnline, I was quite familiar with the story) and the recurring theme of 'but he's such a talented artist' was brought up. Chris Harrison (The Bachelor host) was a guest co-host and shared an opinion that I thought was fantastic. He noted that only with celebrities do we give the 'but s/he is so talented' pass. Politicians' indiscretions are ignored if they are liked by their constituents. Chris Brown, specifically, beat the holy heck out of a woman and has still gone on to have much success and a legion of loyal fans. Yet, when do we excuse the behavior of regular folks based on his or her craft?

'Mr. Todd may have killed someone, but have you seen how well he repairs a toilet?!' 

'Mrs. Brown has stolen her employer blind, but, wow!, can she frost a cake!' 

Another interesting point to ponder. 

Yesterday at church we had a healing service in which people with any physical ailment could come forward for prayer for healing. I watched as a sweet mother half walked/half carried her son, who looked to be about 8 years old, to the front of the church. He seemed to have cerebral palsy or maybe even Turret's, he was clapping sporadically as if by reflex. As I watched him and his mother, tears just poured down my face. 'Why, Lord?' was my first thought, almost immediately followed by, 'Why NOT us, Lord?' In those moments I felt completely overwhelmed by the pure blessing and miracle, really, it is to have three healthy children. As the Scripture (Isaiah 55:8), which my dear friend who is facing cancer has shared with me many times over the past few months, says, 'Our ways are not His ways.' I love The Message's translation, 'I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work.' We can't even begin to understand the mysteries of God with our human minds.

If that experience and those thoughts don't get me out of my silly

why wasn't my birth experience 

{which yielded a perfectly perfect baby girl} 

everything I'd wanted it to be - mood

I just don't know what will! 

Having her cake, and eating it, too!

Her birthday may not have been perfect,

but every day spent with her since has been a dream.