SURPRIZE!

My son and his family live around 8 hours by car from me...flying is 1 hour! (guess which one I do!)My daughter-in-law's family has a farm that is about 4 hours from where I live...and they spend a good deal of the summer at the farm, my son being a school teacher has the summer off...

Last week my son and I were talking on the phone planning some time where we could be alone as mother and son...it is a difficult thing to do when one has a young family...we do have stolen hours when we have to run errands where we can ride in a car together and just talk one on one...but those are far and few between...and of course we have telephone calls...we don't do much e mailing anymore, but I still write him letters (sending one out today!)

My son called me on Sunday and was curious to what I was doing ...homework was my reply (I am taking an on line course)...how would you like company for dinner?  He was at the farm with 2 of the 3 children; while my daughter-in-law and his my oldest grand-daughter were in the big city going to a play with friends and spending some quality time together...Really?..how fast could I say Certainly!?

Of course I ran to the grocery and picked up special items...cupcakes to celebrate a birthday with the littlest grand-daughter that I was not able to be at...Upon arrival my home was filled with so much love and laughter...and let me mention a dog and 3 chickens too!!  We ate...we talked...we laughed...we celebrated...it was such a wonderful surprise...

 It struck me while during this visit what we do as parents....bonding with our children starts at the moment of conception (at least I believe that) and carries through to when we hold them for the first time in our arms...but then life comes into play. The bonding comes from providing for them...shelter and food...comfort and security...guidance and love...this bond starts by allowing our children to know that they will be taken care of by us...to offer to them the security of knowing that we are there to protect them so that no harm will come to them under our watch...this bond is the beginning of the child/parent relationship...and it came to my attention that Gerard and I do not have that total bond...we have a different bond that comes from a different part of our hearts...it is a bond...it is a special connection...but it is different.

Meeting again as adults...as a parent I do not have to provide for him...he is not totally dependent on me...and yet we as humans need to feel wanted...needed and loved by others...especially by our parents and our children.

So I opened up my home to my son and grand-children...I provided food and shelter...I provided comfort and a sense of security...I provided love...there was even a moment where I could hold him and provide him with compassion...

This surprise visit was much to short...a sleep over and spending the day together on Monday...but it reminded me of the blessings I have had since meeting last year...each moment there are many things to be grateful for...and the world opens up to us when we live in a space of gratitude.

So, I am grateful....grateful for a surprise visit...grateful for a birthday celebration...grateful for a day of play...grateful for the laughter and the conversations...yes and even grateful for the dog running in the yard and the chickens (I did get 2 nice fresh eggs from them!)...

But most of all I am grateful for the LOVE!