Here it is, almost the end of July, and I have not posted a blog since May. I’ve had friends comment that I have stopped writing. Yes, I have. What is the delay? What could be the problem? 

The “problem” is no problem at all. It’s just that my younger daughter, my baby, came home from college. My Melissa is here, and I want to savor every moment with her. I am more interested in her words, her thoughts, than getting any of my own down in any format. I have been soaking her in and loving every moment.

Wasn’t it yesterday that I gazed at those big brown eyes for the first time in the delivery room? I remember thinking, and stating, how much she resembled her sister, and I remember feeling very, very content. 

I also remember being told time and again by seasoned parents that I should cherish the time I had with my girls and that I would watch them head off to college and marriage in no time at all. They were right. Where has time gone?

I’m no fan of the empty nest. I absolutely loved being a mom. I loved the giggles, the energy, the eagerness to learn, and the pure awe they experienced when exploring life’s “firsts.”

Melissa insisted on holding her first ice cream cone upside down. In fact, she did it often; it just felt right to her. That was just one of so many antics that brought laughter to our home.

There is no greater blessing in this life than to nurture our young into adulthood. We raise them to fly, to be confident and independent. And we are so pleased when they step out in their own faith to explore what God has for them in this life. But when their feet once again find our doorstep, we rejoice. We wrap our arms around them. We smell the scent of their skin and hair. We listen once again to the tone of their voice and the pondering of their hearts and minds. And we smile.

If you are a mother who is dealing with diapers, colic, late-night feedings, tantrums, sibling rivalry, soccer practices, trips to the pediatrician or exhaustion, remember:  soak it all in, every minute. Your children will be gone before you know it. Those days that may seem so difficult now will become the sweetest of memories.

You are blessed beyond measure.

 newborn Melissa

Joy in Jesus,

Jacquee