Purging and Fortifying

As the Summer is winding down and as we contemplate another school year, I have been frantically trying to get ready for school.This year, I have a Kindergartner to prepare for school. I am unsure what my feelings are supposed to be about this exciting milestone. I am happy, nostalgic, and excited. I am unsure whether or not I will cry on his first day but I am happy about where he will be going to school and who his teachers will be. I am also getting myself ready to return to school this Fall as well. I am nervous and excited for the new semester as I look forward to completing more College requirements. What has been shocking in our preparations has been the realization that Bill will not be returning to classes with Liam and I. He completed his degree and graduated in the Spring and will be going to work instead. We are still looking for a permanent job for him and we would appreciate your prayers in this endeavor.

I have a huge list of goals and tasks I would like to have completed before school starts in the next few weeks and I have been frantically completing each item on my list. I have been deep cleaning, de-cluttering, and completing old sewing projects. In the midst of all of this chaos, Liam fell victim to the dreaded stomach flu and it has cycled through all three of us.

I have been thrown off balance with this newest challenge as its taken me an entire week to pick the pieces up again. I find it ironic that while I am purging my house of unnecessary clutter, our bodies also became ill and purged unnecessary clutter from our bodies. It has been humbling to be sick during this time, I think I needed to stop for a few days and take a break. I have been so focused on completing my tasks that I haven't stopped long enough to spend quality time with my family. However, I had two days alone with Liam while he was sick and we spent some real quality time together. Albeit he was really sick but it was still time where we got to be alone and together. We have felt closer since that time and I am grateful for that. I then became ill and spent another two days alone with myself. I got to write in my journal, read, and spend time quite, still, and alone with my thoughts.

Then Bill fell prey to the sickness and than for two days I have had the fortune of taking care of him. I have a very independent husband that does not require me to take care of him very much. He, however; was so sick that I actually got to take care of him. It was a pleasure to serve him and care for him and I feel closer to him for it.

I had not penciled in the need for family connection or relationship building on my important list of goals but with us being sick this past week it was accomplished nonetheless. I am grateful for the lesson I have learned from this, sometimes when we are so focused on purging our surroundings and busying ourselves with endless tasks, sometimes we need to stop and fortify or build up the relationships we have with our families. Sometimes we need to purge ourselves of being so busy and allow ourselves times of stillness to reconnect with both our loved ones and ourselves. If Liam had not brought the stomach flu to our home, I am sure I would not have learned this important lesson. I am the kind of person that is forever busying myself with endless tasks, goals, and deadlines. I realize that I do need more balance in my life by slowing down and focusing on what I have in my life with the ones I love the most.

I want to say to my family that I love you and I am grateful that we are all in excellent health again and that I feel closer to each of you as well. Now, how about that list, which one of you is going to help me with cleaning out the hallway closet we only have two weeks left until school starts, not to mention the back porch which one of you will be helping me with...and so it goes.