Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Grandpa Called Her Sweetheart

Grandpa called her sweetheart,
The love of his long life.
As time tenderized their care,
Her gentleness and appeal
Called for a name
To match all they had shared.
Sweetheart.
My love whose sweet is real.

Sometimes it’s just a name.
Something to fill the void.
Sweetheart.
Suspended between a think and a feel.
And then one day we see it lived,
That moment love is shared.
Sweetheart.
The one whose sweet is real.

I have searched for days,
For a word to capture well
The essence of her spirit,
She who gave our family a great deal
Of learning and laughter
And nurture and soul.
Sweetheart.
The one whose sweet is real.

Sweetheart isn’t a name
To commemorate any great feat.
Unless, of course, you happen to have
Ten grandchildren to make feel
Worthy. At peace. In confident care.
Then a mighty hero indeed!
Sweetheart.
The one whose sweet is real.

It’s true, because I am one
Who knows her heart as sweet
As the honey I dipped those
Tatortots in, sitting alone at a meal.
Five years old and I still recall,
She affirmed my lack of lunchroom speed.
Sweetheart.
The one whose sweet is real.

She told me many times my eyes
Reminded her of her mother;
Maybe their shape or their color.
But things aren’t always as it seems,
And so I begin to wonder
If she didn’t know it true….
That my eyes saw, like her mother’s too,
A heart that beat with the sweetest of things.

Grandpa called her sweetheart
A woman whose sweet was real.
And I am always grateful for
That woman whose sweet was real.

Grandma Ikast, you have inspired, nurtured, and cherished us all well. Now rest in the arms of the One who created the sweet in you.

Baby Briggs with Great Grandpa & Grandma 2014


Saturday, March 12, 2016

28 weeks- tired and happy, but which comes first?

My second pregnancy has been much different from the first, in part (I suppose) because I now have a two-year old to enjoy while also growing this new little one. In fact, I’ve been so busy that I rarely take time these days to reflect on how very happy I am to be ushering in new life all over again.

Because I’m tired, almost all the time. 

Take for example Briggs’ birthday party. It was a wonderful gathering of family and friends (with grandma graciously agreeing to host at her place). But even without the extra cleaning, hosting a rather simple birthday party was truly exhausting. Being on my feet all day is not something my twice-pregnant body much enjoys, and my body fought back by allowing a head cold to become another sinus infection…so I’m still tired and sick, a week out from the festivities. 

I say this not to gain sympathy exactly, but to admit that this pregnancy has been a juxtaposition of challenges and joy, almost constantly. In spite of all the “woes” of pregnancy, I am really, truly, wholeheartedly happy…and sometimes I just need to say that!

You just might miss it in our initial conversations, because the tired Emily almost ALWAYS speaks first. Then, after I’ve had my moment, I tend to allow the happy sunshine to stream through. I just wish sometimes the sun would shine brighter than my complaints. The truth is, I am extremely fortunate for this pregnancy, for the health of my family, for a supportive community around me, for friends who understand and sympathize with the frustrations of varicose veins, an achy body, mood swings, fatigue, (and the gazillion other pregnancy symptoms you can google at your leisure). I am fortunate to have a career in which I am called to tend my soul as well as others’ because it gives me spiritual perspective, especially when the tired Emily wants to take over.


So hear this from the happy Emily- the next 2 ½ months might not be my most physically pleasant, but I do feel blessed with this chance to discover yet again how powerful and miraculous our God truly is. And I am fundamentally happy to offer my body for the process of fostering another new life (at least while I sit here comfortably with my feet up!) J




Photo Cred- AJ Munger