It’s Not About the Flood

Last week’s blog was, in great part, about the impending flooding of the Brazos River at my house. The river overran its banks Wednesday of last week, and then again last Friday morning. It reached its crest Saturday, about midday. Although the crest level was not as high as predicted, it was high enough to cause a great deal of water to run into my hay field.

The river is now well inside its banks and still going down. The water that is trapped in my field is slowly disappearing thanks to 90+ degree temperatures every day.

And yet, despite all that, I had a really good week. Sunday was Mother’s Day, you know, and the first day of sunshine all week. It just so happened that my stepson and his wife were in town for a friend’s wedding. I love this young couple. They make up a major part of my family. I got to spend a couple of hours with them on Sunday before they had to travel back home. With my daughter and mother there, and of course my husband, it seemed almost like a family reunion. It really made my Mother’s Day special.

Then, on Wednesday, my daughter and I spent the day together. We ate lunch at what is now my favorite sushi restaurant. The food is so fresh and flavorful; and they have the best jasmine green tea. After a wonderful lunch, we walked around the Japanese Gardens. We took our time and just walked and talked. It is such a relaxing place to visit. It is beautifully maintained with just the right amount of Japanese architecture, water features, and of course, koi fish. I think we walked every path.

As a final treat before we went home, my daughter took me to a fabulous coffee house. What a wonderful experience to take a peek into my daughter’s world as an independent adult. It seems like a simple event, but I will treasure the memory of it. I am so proud of the person she has become.

At times, this week has really flown by. And yet, on other days, it seems to be casually passing. Even this week’s blog seems like I have a lot to say, but it takes relatively few words to say it. This feeling is oddly reminiscent of a time in my life that is quite a few years back. The time was when my daughter was little, and she was the center of my world. She was my one and only baby, and my entire existence revolved around her. We were inseparable.

Somehow, as the years have gone by, the simple pleasure of just enjoying moments with family has become tainted with worries of way too many things. I have gotten caught up in scheduling and planning every aspect of life. And worse yet, fretting and worrying about whether or not things are going to go as planned. Let me tell you, I am good at both planning and stressing.

Until I had sat down and taken inventory of this last week, I thought that the worst part of that lifestyle was getting flashes of me acting like my mother! But now, I realize that I have been paying too little attention to my most important relationships, my family, for the sake of getting as much done in a day as possible.

The happiness and fulfillment that I felt reconnecting with each one of my family members by far exceeds any fulfillment I may have received at the end of a very busy week. Our personal relationships with family and other people need to be nurtured. When properly tended to, they provide a sense of stability and happiness. You should never let your stress and worries outweigh the healthy relationships in your life.

I try every day to practice what I preach. But, alas, I am as human as those around me. We all have our ups and downs, our good times and not so good times. Sometimes I get a little out of balance, but I always strive to come back to center; because, you see, it is all about connection and balance.

Matthew 6:25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?”