When The Days Are Like Gold

Wild sunflowers are pushing their petal framed faces to the sky, along the ribbon of road and open pastures. Large clusters of golden rod fill the ditches and speckle fence lines while a few gilded leaves peek out of cottonwood trees, whose heart shaped foliage, shimmer and clatter softly in the late summer sun.

Things are honestly golden here.

Someone just said this to me again, “The golden years aren't so golden.”

I understand what they mean. 

These bodies we travel our one spinning globe in, they wear out and fail us. We are each a walking reminder that earth is not our forever home.

That's why we have to have our minds set on things above and not on things we can see.

Truly, one of the deepest blessings of this season of life for me, are our children and the children they have brought into the world.

Every hour spent with them is a bit of a party. The fact that five of our grandchild live a few minutes’ drive from our home and that they like being together, makes it even more of a gift.

They gave it a name, what we do when we are all together. They call it having.a “cousin day.”

I actually had one, kind of organized, Grandma Camp. It was somewhat darling with little crafts and t-shirts, and sandwiches cut out to look like hearts and stars.

Yes, it was pretty adorable.

But, since then we have had more informal free-for-alls, here at Grandma's.

I like to think of them as mini-adventures.

Just getting them all securely placed in legal car-seats, is a challenge. In fact it is an aerobic workout. Some days my goal has been to simply, keep the children alive and return them home to their parents mostly unharmed.

When they are all together I listen to their conversations and interaction with each other it makes my heart so tender to how each of them are uniquely designed and gifted, all weaved together in skin.

I hear what is in their hearts and most often I remember what I learned, but forgot, when I was raising their mommies.

I just love them.

I love them for who they are.

Not as in, "My grandchildren are the cutest children alive and make all of life more worth living."

Though, there is that feeling too.

Most deeply, I love them as in, "It makes my heart hurt thinking about their futures and I would honestly die for every single one of them."

One of our recent mini-adventures at Grandma's was a little end-of-the-summer, kind of get together.

We drug out the water slide and pulled up a few lawn chairs and just let things happen as they most naturally do when we are hanging out together.

This boy and his deep brown eyes and profound thoughts. 

He can only tell the truth. 

He talks long about things that make his eyes dance, 

and is quiet when he is overwhelmed. 

When he is in a competitive situation, his tenacity comes out and 

clings on for all he has to give. 

That will serve him well in life.

The one you cannot see in this picture....

well I include this picture because it is typical of this boy. 

He is always finding a new way to do an old thing.

He doesn't understand gravity. 

He lives full out with his passion and physical strength but,

he has a tender heart that never fails to hand out a hug 

and say the words, "I love you." 

She says, "I just like to talk grandma."
Her tender heart is easily broken and
she likes all things pink and girly.
Especially tiny dolls with rubber clothing and sparkles.

And this girl!
If we had one single dollar for every time someone commented on her hair,
or tells a story about someone with red hair...
well, we would have a college fund well established.
She has a fire in her tiny soul and if you ask her what she loves,
she will tell you that she loves babies.
That is a noble thing for a three year old girl to know most deeply about herself.

Little man with his steel blue eyes and flaxen hair....

I love you boy.

He adores guns, his food and just being in the mix of things, 

while doing his very own thing. 

He's easy to have around. 

When he calls me, "Ma," I come running. 

It never gets old. 

No words can really capture how I love them.

I don't love them for how they look or what they do.  

I love them, because God made them and they are enough just the way they are.

When I look into their eyes I see the future. 

I see my legacy. 

I see God's goodness and blessings. 

It makes me cry and laugh and pray hard.

Oh how I want them to know that Jesus is all of life and 

to serve Him with their whole hearts, minds and souls.

I want them to know that Jesus is the only thing

that will ever fill them up and satisfy their deepest places.

I want them to know they, are not the plans that others have for them,

but that God Himself has plans for them

 that are beyond anything they can think or dream. 

I pray they use their voices, not to build themselves up,

but to help others and to speak truth.

I pray they will be strong and brave and bold 

for the things Jesus gives them to do.

Thank goodness they are each so different. 

My prayer is that they dare to be different 

from what the world tries to conform them to be.

I pray that they use their talents, their influence 

to bring light and love into the world.

I pray that they will set their minds on things above,
so they can keep in perspective the things of this earth.

In the meantime I will keep lots of snacks and juice handy. 

We will read more books and take little mini adventures together

and I do hope you all figure out that chalk is not candy.

To me, days with these people are like gold.

Love,

Your Grandma

Missing this little tiny person. 

Can't wait until she is fussing and fighting 

for the pink cup along with her girl cousins.