I’ve been suffering from writers block lately. When I sit down at the computer, it seems like there’s lots I could say – but someone has already said it, and better than I ever could. Really, it’s hard not to compare; not when there are so many great writers out there.
Still, I like to write. Because, no matter what other people have written, this is our life. It’s something my kids like to read. And someday, down the road – maybe I’d like to remember what I thought when I was in the middle of raising my kids, being a wife, mom, juggling everything. And I hope, looking back, I can say, we enjoyed the journey. That even though there were hard times and not every day was easy, life was good.
One of my favourite books I’ve read in the last while is called A Lantern in Her Hand. It’s a story set in pioneer days, and I love pioneer stories. This book doesn’t gloss over the hard times (and really, there were a lot!) but it also shares the good times. How being a mom is such an important job. How, at the end of the day, it’s not your circumstances that were important, but how you lived through them.
At the end of the book while looking back at her life, Abbie, who’s lived through all those pioneer years, shares her happiest memory with her granddaughter. She says:
“There are many memories. But I’ll tell you the one I like to think of best of all. It’s just a homely everyday thing, but to me it is the happiest of them all. It is evening time here in the old house and the supper is cooking and the table is set for the whole family… the robins are singing in the cottonwoods and the late afternoon sun is shining across the floor. Will, your grandfather, is coming in to supper… and the children are all playing out in the yard. I can hear their voices and happy laughter. There isn’t much to that memory is there? Out of a lifetime of experiences you would hardly expect that to be the one I would choose as the happiest, would you? But is is. The supper cooking… the table set for the whole family… the afternoon sun across the floor… the robins singing it the cottonwoods… the children’s merry voices… Will coming in.. eventide.”
It makes me remember, as Gretchen Rubin, from The Happiness Project writes: “The days are long, but the years are short.” And someday, the kids will grow up, and start their own families. I hope when that day comes (not too quickly!) we’ll be able to say, too, those are our best memories, the simple things…. sitting at the table together… enjoying each others company… just living life… together.
lifeoncanterburylane 