MORMON SOPRANO

Recently my heart has become tender as I ponder the bitter-sweet truth of being a parent.

Our babies grow up.

On one hand, it is a thrill to see Baby reach milestones . We celebrate her very first step, the first word, the first loose tooth and the first day of school, among a long list of other “firsts”. Indeed, our child exponentially gains knowledge, skills, talents and personality beyond our wildest imagination. It is pure joy to watch the miracle of our creation in partnership with God!

And yet, on the other hand, there is a price which must be paid. The currency required is Time. A sadness softly creeps into my heart knowing as milestones are met and passed, they never return. The beloved pacifier and blankie are left behind for toys, and play-dates. These are then discarded for car keys, prom dresses and real dates. As the fingerprints and smudges disappear from our home, the shiny glass and walls left behind seem hollow and empty.

We turn around, and discover our babies are grown and heading off on their own. This conundrum is called “the Circle of Life”. It is part of a grand plan of God for us to be born, to grow, to live and to die. And yet, no matter how necessary or logical, the process is never easy. Especially on a mother’s heart.

The difficulty of experiencing a major “season change” has become very personal recently. In a few short weeks I will be placing my own little child in the car and then driving her to another city where I will help her move her things into a dorm room, and then be expected to kiss her goodbye, and drive away.

In that brief moment, our family and our life as we know it will change forever. I have reached a chapter which I yearn to keep writing, but soon must close.

Of course, I feel boundless joy in celebrating my child’s great achievements. She has soaring hopes, amazing dreams, and a bright future! She’s beautiful and vibrant and eager to spread her wings. She’s ready and capable to fly. What more could a mother hope for?

And yet, I feel a heavy tug at my heart which threatens to break my resolve to be a reasonable and rational mother, and just lock her tightly away in a tower!

I know the circle of life will continue to turn, no matter how hard I may try to stop it. Therefore, every moment I have between this day, and that fast approaching day in August is priceless. These are days to be treasured, savored and never forgotten. Oh, how I wish I could have internalized this perspective the moment she arrived eighteen years ago, when all six pounds nine ounces of her was gently placed into my arms. I imagined then that there would be oodles of time together. So, I wasn’t careful enough, and I turned around.

After-Note: The song “Turn Around” was written in 1959 by Harry Belafonte, Alan Greene, and Malvina Reynolds. Thank you to McMahonBJ for creating this exquisite video.

Last year little 6 year old Connie Talbot, WOWed Simon Cowell and the other judges of the “Briton’s Got Talent” TV search. Connie went on to become one of the winners of the television competition. She is beloved by all who hear her sweet voice, and see her charming grin. In this video, Connie sings “Walking In The Air” set to the beautiful animated classic “The Snowman”. Connie’s new album entitled “Over the Rainbow” is available for purchase at her official website. Enjoy!

I have a little tool installed on this site called “StatCounter”, and it’s kind-of nerdy & fun to watch it off and on. It has a cool page with a world map, and whenever any of you visit my site a little red arrow is placed on your location. When I click on the red arrow, it tells me your city / state and/or country. Now don’t worry; it’s nothing creepy. It doesn’t tell me your name, address and first-born child. It’s just a way to see where most of my traffic comes from. I like to think about all of my “little red arrows” out there. I wonder about whom you are, and what your lives are like. What is your biggest joy and your greatest challenge right now? I wonder how you found my site, (more…)

My heart is heavy this weekend as I learned of two tragedies hitting home and heart. The first was the death of Christian songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child, Maria Sue. Certain areas of the country have given this more media attention than others. Our paper included only a small paragraph hidden in a national news blot. So for those who are not aware of this story yet, here is an excerpt from a well-written article summarizing the events: (more…)

I was touched by Sam Shaw’s post today regarding his sweet granddaughter Eloise. Little Eloise has a serious heart condition. She must undergo a critical surgery this week. I don’t know Sam. I have never met his family. And Sam does not know any of us. However, he has faith in our prayers. (more…)

My mother underwent surgery for breast cancer last week. She chose to have a lumpectomy, and the pathologist report has declared her margins clear of cancer cells! That is the great news. She has been blessed with a very rapid recovery, and was back to work just a few short days later. Of course, that is not the end of her battle. She is now facing the prospect of a very long treatment of (more…)