Todays Rituals; Tomorrow’s Memories

I trust you had a great time celebrating with the mothers in your life. I did! And I loved reading the comments you left about why you love your mom. Congrats to the comment winner of Homespun Memories From The Heart. She is:

Steph; Timestamp: May 7, 2010 at 12:17 pm

Send your home address to me at [email protected] so I can get your book out to you right away!

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Something my daughter wrote in her Mother’s Day letter to me really stood out. While I won’t quote the entire letter here (maybe someday I will) what stood out to me was the way she remembered what I thought were small insignificant things about her growing up days; memories that are forever cemented in her mind.

It got me thinking what her younger brothers will remember when they too grow up and leave home. What daily unspoken traditions will they treasure?

I’d like to share one possibility with you.

Ever since our kids were small, I have had a habit of tucking them in at night and asking them the same three questions:

  • What was the best part of your day?
  • What was the worst part?
  • How can I pray for you for tomorrow?

Simple.

Straight-forward.

But a comforting ritual that evokes conversation and assures them that I am praying for their challenges in life. And just because they are both nearly taller and bigger than me now at 12 and 15 doesn’t mean their too big to keep the questions coming.

It really is the simple things are kids will treasure when they leave.

What will your kids remember about the simple daily rituals at your house someday?

Sweet Blessings,

2 Comments

  1. will send website later. I don’t have it memorized. Wanted you to know I am a christian and a writer, plus do some volunteer things for the ACS locally. I wanted to enter your contests, but don’t know how to do that. If all it takes is “I’m in”…then I am in. Wanted to send you a sample of my writing so will copy and paste the news and one of my most simple. Hope you like it.

    Vickey Stamps

    THE LOST KITTENS by Vickey Stamps
    June 2010

    Their mother, they thought was the prettiest thing they’d ever seen. She was a Calico. They never tired of hearing her as she mewed out the story of her life. It had not been such a long life, as cat lives go, but long enough for her to now have a family.
    Now they nestled close to her long warm fur, having been nursed for what must have seemed way too many times this day by their mother. They weren’t weaned yet, and far too tiny to be on their own. They were such pretty little things.

    Her mother had been named ‘Little-Bit’ by the family she’d been brought to live with on that day, much like this one, only months ago. She hadn’t been much beyond a newborn herself, when careless and thoughtless people had deserted her and her siblings in a dark and dirty alley. They had cuddled up together, for the night was cold and nipping at their tender young skin. Her younger siblings had cried so, for their dear mother, fearing that they would most likely never see her again…

    “What shall I do? Little Bit thought to herself. “I’m only minutes older then my sister kitty next to me, and not that much older than the rest. I must do something, or we all shall perish in this dark place.” Little-Bit stuck out her tongue and begin to try grooming her siblings, like her mother had done for them. She hoped she could bring the others some comfort. The little ones felt the loneliness of being lost. They mewed softly.

    Beyond the end of the alley and around the corner, a homeless woman sat upon a cold and cracking sidewalk… On her overly thin frame, she wore three old sweaters that covered up the ragged top and pants she’d found in a dumpster. Over it all, was an old coat, filled with holes that let the cold night air bite her tired old body. She listened carefully, thinking she heard something back in the alley. She had only gotten here moments ago and had barely settled down for the night ahead.

    Her grocery cart was beside her with its ‘treasures’ inside. She’d hooked both her legs over its back bars to keep others from removing it, should she fall asleep. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d lost her meager belongings. Back in the alley, lay the helpless little creatures. Little-Bit was very discouraged and raised her voice a bit louder than her sisters and brothers, calling out in a plea for help.

    The frail old homeless lady, stood up. Cats!!! There are cats back there, I love cats! Now she carefully made her way along the alley. There they were, four of them. Little calico kittens, each barely covering her hand. Who was so mean as to leave these babies to surely die, if someone didn’t help them live? She hurried back to the cart, digging down for some soft bits of clothing and bringing them to the top of the old cart. There, this will be warm, she thought, as she made a bed for the kitten babies and brought them in a group, back to the cart. She knew just where
    these babies belonged.

    On her daily walks in the city, she’d often passed what she called the happy house. Small children played there. Their laughter filled the air and in doing so, touched the old woman’s heart as well. Always watching over them was their mother and sometimes the father person. They would often play a running thing, or sometimes just a game of ball. Other days they’d take turns swinging from a tire, hanging from the old Oak tree in the yard. Surely love lived in this place. Maybe there would be enough left over for these four lost kittens. All she could do was try, and she would.

    The old woman’s legs grew weary. She’d forgotten how far back it was to that house of happiness. It would be worth it to be so tired, if her plan would work. At last she was there. Lifting up Little-Bit and her little sisters and brother into her arms from the soft bed she’d made them, she carried them to the porch, laying them gently just beyond the reach of the screened front door, of the home where the people with love in their hearts lived. There was a large growth of bushes beside the house. She’d hide there. She knocked loudly and repeatedly until she heard noises within the home. Now she hurried to sit behind the bushes. She knew she’d woke up everyone inside with her noise but she did not care.

    “Tim, hurry! Look what someone has put on our porch. Quick, help me get them off the porch and inside. It’s so cold out here. Have the kids get an old blanket and I’ll warm up some milk. We’ll see if they can drink on their own. Otherwise we’ll have to find some droppers somewhere. Even if we have to wake some folks up,
    we have to get them. Hurry Tim! Hurry!” Sherri’s eyes filled with tears.

    Four little kittens. She’d always loved cats. Only this evening she’d caught herself saying a prayer that she might find a cat to call her own. Already her prayers had been answered. She knew the kids would love them. They would keep one and find real good homes for the others, as soon as they were older. Wasn’t God good!

    The old woman slipped away quietly to return to her nightly sleeping place on the sidewalk. She wore a smile. She might be homeless, but she was happy. She knew for a fact

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………..life was good.

  2. I like those 3 questions. We’ve begun praying together as a family before we put our boys to bed. I’m liking this new tradition!

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