Soccer Game Life

Beka, Kelly, and I sat in the middle of the food court, munching on our nutricious lunches of mall junk food. We all eyed the escalators from time to time- you never know who you might bump into in the town you grew up in, and still live in.

We were already sitting beside the girl Beka went to high school with- Jennifer, and her two kids- one eight, one 11 months. Beka marveled about how quickly time goes by.

It was St. Patrick's Day, and we laughed at the gaggle of green clothed people moving down the escalator. Beka and Kelly have big plans for the night. Not me... I'll be sitting at home with my boys. Could've gone to a St. Paddy's Day dinner party we were invited too, but Martin and I decided to stay in since it's been such a busy couple of weeks. As Kelly and Beka discuss their green outfits, and feather boas for the night, I look up and see a lady from my old church coming down the escalator. She used to be one of my JV group leaders at church. I tell Beka, "Hey, look, there's Mrs. _______________". She says, "Wow, look at her..." I finish her statement with"Yeah, she has aged very well", to which Beka points out that she hasn't aged AT ALL. I guess that's a loaded compliment.

Anyway, I got to thinking about that, today. I started thinking about my Mom, and my Mom's friends from when I was growing up. And I was thinking about Ladies' Bible Study on Thursday mornings, and all the moms bringing in their pot-luck dishes and their pre-schoolers- all to have a morning out. I remember the scene well, since my school was within the church walls. I guess back then, I didn't understand the value of that group. Just looked like a bunch of Moms hanging out to us. But now, I know. It's funny looking back, how things seemed so cliche... the moms. Soccer games, car-pool lines- boring, boring lives. It seemed that way to me.

But now, NOW, I realize they were me, once. And now, I'm becoming them. I LIVE for my coffee day with girlfriends on Wednesday mornings. It is a life-line; one way to have 2 or 3 hours out that might save your sanity for the week. How, when you're husband's out of town, you're all alone, and you NEED those other women. But it's not cliche. It's not a boring, boring life. It's a good, good life. Stressful, sometimes, but good. You can tell from my blogs that I have good days, and I have bad days. But I will say, that on a good day, the contentment that comes from meeting my family's needs is so fullfilling. And the knowledge that I am doing what God would have me to do, right now, at this time in my life, is very rewarding.

I write these blogs, never knowing where they will end up. Sometimes they end up way too long... sometimes too mushy, but I always have this need to communicate ideas, and they form on their own.

So, here's to my cliche, soccer game life. Lord, thank You for it.