What will you cut out so they can cut in?

The water is on and the sun is shining. You all know how much I love my shower time; it's my alone time... Quiet time to reflect on the to-do list and square my day in my head. It's a moment to pray and praise God for a new opportunities.

This morning was a wonderfully prepared morning. A rare feat for me indeed... School uniforms picked out last night, lunches and coffee prepare before I headed to bed. Breakfast done and eaten well before the time to head out the door and hubbies to-go coffee in hand with keys to the car for the school run.

A shower for me... The sound of my sweet daughters voice, " Hey mom?!? The freezer door is stuck and I can't get my ice!" Far be it from me to think she could ask the daddy who's not in the shower but rather standing in the kitchen. Sometimes you have to point out the obvious... "Sweetie, I am in the shower - could you, by chance, ask your dad?!?" there was a bit of frustration in that answer!  Ah, back to my shower... As rubber hitting the kitchen tile starts to interrupt my thoughts... The hollow bounce of a basket ball. "What is going on out there?" I wonder aloud... "Son!", I call from the shower, "do we bounce the ball in the house?" The reply, " Mr. Smith likes when I bring my ball!" My rather loud response, "Not in the house!" His reply, "Ok mom!"

The silent thought... One day you will miss that sound and these interruptions.

Monday was amazing.... At the end of the evening, coming home from Bible study is where I find my neighbor across the street. Let's call her Ruth, because that's what I called her for 5 our of the 10 years we've lived here... It wasn't until on Christmas as I was thanking her for the Cannoli she sends over with her husband every holiday that she asked me why I keep calling her Ruth. Turns out her name is "Angela" and she's from upstate NYC. I love that lady... I love coming home from study to find her outside. We share some laughs and she tells me stories about the grand babies and great grand babies. She tells me about her sister in law who passed away and about her husband and his health. She's tough and honest; there is also a soft side to her. She loves the kids... She always says, "what are they, like in first grade already" with that Italian/NYC accent. Yes, I love crossing the street to chat with her on Monday nights. Tonight she tells me that her wonderful husband is having some health issues and there's really not much doctors can do to change it.  This sweet woman drives for him and you know she cooks for him... she takes out the trash and she just does it... they have a house full of people every Sunday night. 

I try to imagine my life 45 years from now. Not so much the home we'll be in but the state in life... I hope my kids bring their families home every Sunday night for dinner.  I hope we see our grand children and great grandchildren.  I hope we celebrate every milestone and weather every storm.

Silently saying a prayer for this family, my family and family's everywhere.

The family unit is not built "later and down the road"... it's not "after retirement" or "when I get a minute"... The family unit, the foundation and it's structure are built when two people get married, when they become one... it's built when their kids come home from the hospital.  It's built with every knee scrape, broken bone and bandage applied.  Family is built though love, time and bedtime prayers.  It's built with participation in ball games and dance recitals rather than the missed home run because there was a meeting after-work.

Family takes time and love, it takes molding and it takes a commitment to say, above all the distractions; you son or you daughter... you husband or you my wife "are my priority".  It takes coming home and making it to the dinner table so we can share our day.

So finally, when I become Angela and my hubbie becomes her wonderful husband... I have family that comes home on Sunday night and shares life back with us.

Among homework, school... afterschool activities and extracurricular sports; Careers and the stresses that come from that... among  family commitments to church; yes, I said church... we have to be a little selfish with our time, our time as a family.  We have to put up the boundaries and take back our family time - our time is short in this life, our time with our family is even shorter.  Make the most of it...

How will you make the most of your family time today...