"Living the American Dream"
I put the title in quotes because the way we spent our weekend would most likely be labeled as worthy of being called “the American Dream” by most anyone you ask. Weekends such as this one are weekends that may easily be coasted through without a second thought….without a pause to think, “Do I really realize how great this all is? Do I really understand how fortunate I am to be here, in this country, in my own little square section of grass in my hometown, familiar and comforting?”
Ken and I woke up early to a hungry baby’s callings from his room down the hall. After Gardner ate his breakfast, we all three laid in bed, lazily in our PJs, us looking down at his precious face, him reaching out and touching our chins, eyes, noses….and giggling when we said out loud what part of our faces he was exploring. Amazing how the mere sound of his parents’ voices will make a baby smile like that.
We got up to a wonderful breakfast of four or five cereals combined (remember my earlier post of cereal-mixing?) and a wonderful cup of decaf coffee….with a biscotti on the side (a late-night, spontaneous splurge I had indulged in baking the night before). We bundled up our little tyke and hiked off to Wal-Mart (I mean, really, how all-American CAN you get?). Though I normally detest the place, somehow having my husband and child with me, Gardner sheepishly grinning while bouncing around in the carrier on his daddy’s shoulders….suddenly everything else disappeared and I found myself actually enjoying the shopping.
We came back home, putting our sleepy one into bed for a mid-morning nap, then trudging back to the Jeep to get out the miscellaneous items we’d bought….one of which being a set of plastic (but quite frankly, the finest wood-simulated plastic you can buy) Adirondack chairs for our empty-for-way-too-long front porch.
After a lunch outside on our umbrella table, we split off and worked on our respective tasks….Ken beautifully manicured our entire yard. The diagonal grass-cutting patterns rival any gardener’s masterpieces. I watered the plants and flowers that I am, doggone it, going to keep alive this year, and we sat down to admire our handiwork (GOD’s handiwork, that is….we are just the ones who fumble with and tend to it all).
After an early dinner, we walked (yes, WALKED) down the street to some friends’ house to visit them and their brand new baby boy (a future playmate for Gardner, I’m certain). We were back before nightfall to help Gardner wind down for the night. We settled into bed ourselves and clutched big bowls of our favorite snack, hot-air popcorn with olive oil and salt, while watching some late-night TV as we drifted off to dreamland.
I just spent this entire blog recounting to you what some of you might label as completely boring, or even unworthy or unnecessary as far as using energy to type it all out. But for those of you who’ve kept reading through this in order to find a point at the end of it all, there is one, but not a big one. I just wanted to revel through words in how great God has blessed me. My life three years ago cannot even begin to compare to the rich, abundant life God has bestowed upon me right now. Funny thing about it is that my pursuit of “this life,” this “American Dream” personified, if you will, was so much more serious back then. I lived and breathed and worked to attain it….and what happened? I stepped back and saw that I had let God and my husband slip out of my picture….and all I had to grasp materially was dust. Nothing matters when you don’t have God where He should be….no matter how wealthy you are.
I love waking up each morning and being excited about my day ahead, exuding wide-eyed wonderment at what my day might bring. I don’t miss that sick, heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach when the alarm clock went off not too long ago. I don’t miss the aimless pursuit of “pleasure,” nor the rat race, nor the “keeping up with the Joneses.” All that life brought me was heartache, emptiness, and frustration.
What gifts arrive in simple things….such as sunshine, lemonade, and a smiling husband’s face staring back at you. And the more complex things….the love between those in a family, the fellowship you enjoy with God while doing meager work in the yard or elsewhere, the pure satisfaction of knowing you’re right in the middle of God’s Will.
Precious days are these.
(and, oh my….did I use a lot of “quotation marks” in this post, or what?)
Ken and I woke up early to a hungry baby’s callings from his room down the hall. After Gardner ate his breakfast, we all three laid in bed, lazily in our PJs, us looking down at his precious face, him reaching out and touching our chins, eyes, noses….and giggling when we said out loud what part of our faces he was exploring. Amazing how the mere sound of his parents’ voices will make a baby smile like that.
We got up to a wonderful breakfast of four or five cereals combined (remember my earlier post of cereal-mixing?) and a wonderful cup of decaf coffee….with a biscotti on the side (a late-night, spontaneous splurge I had indulged in baking the night before). We bundled up our little tyke and hiked off to Wal-Mart (I mean, really, how all-American CAN you get?). Though I normally detest the place, somehow having my husband and child with me, Gardner sheepishly grinning while bouncing around in the carrier on his daddy’s shoulders….suddenly everything else disappeared and I found myself actually enjoying the shopping.
We came back home, putting our sleepy one into bed for a mid-morning nap, then trudging back to the Jeep to get out the miscellaneous items we’d bought….one of which being a set of plastic (but quite frankly, the finest wood-simulated plastic you can buy) Adirondack chairs for our empty-for-way-too-long front porch.
After a lunch outside on our umbrella table, we split off and worked on our respective tasks….Ken beautifully manicured our entire yard. The diagonal grass-cutting patterns rival any gardener’s masterpieces. I watered the plants and flowers that I am, doggone it, going to keep alive this year, and we sat down to admire our handiwork (GOD’s handiwork, that is….we are just the ones who fumble with and tend to it all).
After an early dinner, we walked (yes, WALKED) down the street to some friends’ house to visit them and their brand new baby boy (a future playmate for Gardner, I’m certain). We were back before nightfall to help Gardner wind down for the night. We settled into bed ourselves and clutched big bowls of our favorite snack, hot-air popcorn with olive oil and salt, while watching some late-night TV as we drifted off to dreamland.
I just spent this entire blog recounting to you what some of you might label as completely boring, or even unworthy or unnecessary as far as using energy to type it all out. But for those of you who’ve kept reading through this in order to find a point at the end of it all, there is one, but not a big one. I just wanted to revel through words in how great God has blessed me. My life three years ago cannot even begin to compare to the rich, abundant life God has bestowed upon me right now. Funny thing about it is that my pursuit of “this life,” this “American Dream” personified, if you will, was so much more serious back then. I lived and breathed and worked to attain it….and what happened? I stepped back and saw that I had let God and my husband slip out of my picture….and all I had to grasp materially was dust. Nothing matters when you don’t have God where He should be….no matter how wealthy you are.
I love waking up each morning and being excited about my day ahead, exuding wide-eyed wonderment at what my day might bring. I don’t miss that sick, heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach when the alarm clock went off not too long ago. I don’t miss the aimless pursuit of “pleasure,” nor the rat race, nor the “keeping up with the Joneses.” All that life brought me was heartache, emptiness, and frustration.
What gifts arrive in simple things….such as sunshine, lemonade, and a smiling husband’s face staring back at you. And the more complex things….the love between those in a family, the fellowship you enjoy with God while doing meager work in the yard or elsewhere, the pure satisfaction of knowing you’re right in the middle of God’s Will.
Precious days are these.
(and, oh my….did I use a lot of “quotation marks” in this post, or what?)
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