I found myself humming along to this classic song on the radio in the car today, on my way to pick up the kids after school. The lyrics "A time to plant, a time to reap" made me think about my vegetable garden, and all of the beautiful gardens Hector and I saw this past weekend. For my 37th birthday, Hector took me to Tyler. This was a surprise weekend get-away that he planned for me, on his own I might add. We stayed at a lovely B&B. On Saturday we shopped until we dropped in the nearby town of Gladewater. Gladewater is home to over 3 dozen antique stores, all on their Main Street. Then on Sunday we drove the Azalea Trail in Tyler. If you don't know what the Azalea Trail is, it's basically hundreds of homes along several streets throughout Tyler, where the home owners have very eccentric, well-manicured, and extremely gorgeous gardens full of azaleas. It was beautiful, and my pictures do not even begin to do them justice.
Here's My Garden on Planting Day...
I realize just how pitiful my vegetable garden looks, especially when I look the Azalea Trail gardens... But hey, my peach tree looks good! Look at all those pink blossoms!
And Here's The Azalea Trail Gardens...
But you know what? There's more lyrics to that song I was humming today... There's a part that says, "A time to laugh, a time to weep; a time to dance, a time to mourn; A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing; A time to speak, and a time to keep silent."
Well, this afternoon seemed like a perfect time for me to weep, mourn, refrain from embracing, and keep silent. You see, after I picked up the kids from school, Samuel asked me in the car if I would want to go up to the school tomorrow morning to hear him make the morning announcements. With great excitement in my voice I told him that I would absolutely want to go to the school tomorrow morning to hear him make the morning announcements. And then Samuel asked me why none of the other moms would be there, and why it would just be me. And I explained to him that probably the other moms work outside of their homes, but that I would definitely be there! Wouldn't miss it for the world! And then these crushing, blow-to-the-heart words came from the mouth of my 7 1/2 year old, "But I don't want you to go. None of the other moms are going, and it would embarrass me."
I would most definitely define that moment as a time to weep, mourn, refrain from embracing, and keep silent... Needless to say, my heart was broken. And then tonight as I was dropping him off at choir practice, the final blow to what little hope I had left came when he pulled away from my grasp as I was trying to kiss him goodbye. I knew this time in Samuel's life would come, I just never dreamt it would come at the age of 7 1/2. I was thinking more around the age of 13. But it's here, whether I like it or not. He cares more about what his friends think of him than his mommy. Sob, sob, sniffle, sniffle.
But all hope is not lost just yet. Tonight at bedtime, he asked me to sing to him and say a prayer with him. And just like every other night, after we were done saying our prayer, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and I kissed him back. And then he asked me to say goodnight to all of his stuffed animals that he likes to sleep with. "Goodnight Frosty, Quiggly, Rowdy, Henry, Sponge Bob, Bald Eagle, Hungry Caterpillar, Bear, Monkey, Bear (there's 2 bears), Clifford, Marty and Goodnight Samuel. I love you Big Guy, and I'll see you tomorrow morning." And then he said, "I love you too, Mommy." Ah, you see... Maybe I have lost something with Samuel when it comes to showing him affection in front of his friends, but at home he's still my Big Guy and I'm still his Mommy! :-)
Turn, turn, turn...
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