Teach Your Children Well

We take things for granted all the time. I used to think nothing about sitting up or getting out of a chair on my own; or cooking a meal for my family; or driving to the grocery store; or doing a load of laundry. I never thought I'd miss doing some of these things should these jobs ever disappear, either. Our closest grocery store is eight miles away, but I can tell you that once I'm better, I will not complain about driving there to shop, because I'll be so thankful that I can drive and shop. My children know how to do laundry, thankfully, but cooking has always been my job and my joy.

I've decided that I will spend a few afternoons each week guiding the kids through meal preparation, sharing my tips and tricks and teaching them how to cook. I'll start with something simple, like tacos, marinated chicken breasts or tuna steaks. Once school starts back up, I'll save the lessons for the weekends and their days off. And who knows, maybe they'll end up better than me? Ben can already make an egg sandwich which could knock anyone's socks off, and I've already laid some of the groundwork on slicing, dicing, and peeling. The picture here shows Ben and Gracie helping me make strawberry jam earlier this summer, and even though Nathaniel is not shown, he did great, too.


On Friday, I get my staples out and I'm hoping that I can move a little more quickly after their removal. Intellectually, I know that my body just needs time to heal. Patience is not one of my virtues, though, and I am forced to practice it now. Emotionally, it's humbling to let those around me take care of me. And there are so many people to thank...time for the shout-outs! I hope I don't miss anyone, but thank you...
  • Jennie, for coming over (on a weeknight after a long day of work to boot) to finish cleaning the bathrooms.
  • Lisa, for taking Gracie for playtime and for cleaning out my fridge! But mostly, for keeping me company on several occasions.
  • Lisé for the visit and special treats of fruit and cupcakes. I hope I looked better this week and didn't scare the kiddos.
  • Mom and Dad, who are steady and supportive every single day. Ziggy loved his mini-vacation with you dad and I was thankful for a few days without him jumping on me.
  • Jen, for your love and concern, and cleaning. You are the best sister-in-law!
  • For the many cards from family wishing me a speedy recovery. I have a large family and there are too many to list individually, but I love you guys, and I appreciate the cards. I really love getting mail.
  • To my church family who brought my family meals last week - Joanne, Diane, Nancy, Lisa, Rob, and Donna.
  • Shawn for the cards you sent me, homemade, to be used for all the thank you's I need to send out to everyone. They are beautiful.
  • Chris for being a doting husband.
My final thought today...I miss my music the most. I want to play my guitar and flute again, and I really want to sing. Before my surgery, I was working on one of my all-time favorites, "Teach Your Children Well". I know this song is a far cry from teaching kids how to cook, but I love it just the same. I will be back to music as soon as I can, and I cannot wait to make music with my kids again!

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