Dream Come True

It's no secret that becoming a stay-at-home-home was not a choice that Jason and I made.  Almost two years ago I was laid off from my job and in three months of looking unable to find another that allowed us to keep the family/work balance that was so important to us...so I became a SAHM.

Even though unplanned, it was something I wanted very much, though.  In fact, just a few weeks prior to the layoff while on a vacation in Kansas City I caught a glimpse of what I imagined to be the everyday joy of staying home during a leisurely walk with Charlie around the lake.  We had no deadline, no responsibilities, no bounds other than our imaginations and energy.  In fact, the moment was so perfect that I even took a picture of "the dream"--as I saw it. I longed for that carefree time with my son, but didn't see any hope of it becoming our daily life.

Thankfully God did,  and within 6 weeks I was unemployed.  Of course, life wasn't exactly carefree.  I still had the responsibilities of looking for a job, keeping the house clean, feeding us all, making sure Charlie had social interactions and the deadlines of mealtimes and rest times and chores... and of course the stress of a single income.  It wasn't quite what I had imagined, but over time we have adapted and come to love our new life.

Twenty-two moths later, God threw us another (albeit smaller) curve ball. I had all sorts of indoor activities planned for today due to a rainy forecast -- I was even going to repaint my badly-chipped toe nails during our rainy day movie -- but the rain dried up by 9:30 and the sun came out.  There was no way we could waste this weather indoors, so I decided that the quick trip I needed to make to Harris Teeter would become our adventure.

We got dressed, found our backpacks, locked up the dogs, jumped on Charlie's bike and took off...only to turn around as soon as we got to the greenway due to a flat front tire.  So, we came back switched the bike for the easy roller and set off again.  After 4 lengths of walking path, a handful of threats and one collision between the easy roller and my ankle, we finally made it to the store, bought our groceries and set off again -- 26 lbs. heavier (what's a girl to do when Chardonnay and her annual corned beef are on sale??).

About halfway home we saw a little boy and his dad walking through the baseball field towards the greenway.  Separated by the creek, Charlie hollered to him, "Hi!  I'm Charlie!  What's your name."

After a quick glance at his dad the boy yelled, "Ben!"

Charlie responded, "It's nice to meet you!  Where are you going?"

Ben replied, "My dad's house.  His car is broken."

So Charlie asked, "Up for a race?"  And still separated by the creek, Charlie started speed-scooting, and Ben took off running. 

Thankfully, both boys stopped at the road, where they became fast friends.  After crossing to the next path, the race was back on.  Then once they reached Sunset Drive about 100 yards ahead of me and the dad who was a ways behind me, Charlie invited Ben to try out his easy roller. 

Alas, this was Ben's street, so following a ridiculously mature farewell, ("It was sure nice to meet you."  "You, too.  Have a nice day!"), Ben was gone.  Were this a movie, the boys would soon cross paths again, become best friends and one would likely give the other a kidney or save the other from a burning building, but since Ben was with his dad, not his mom, I couldn't really suggest a play date and with Charlie going to JICC next year, they may never even meet again.

Of course, one block later we crossed paths with a little girl on a scooter to whom Charlie yelled, "Hi!  I've got wheels, too!" to her mother's delight, so I don't think I have to worry about him making friends.

And through it all, we eventually made it home with all 26 pounds of groceries (I weighed them!), and I realized that my dream from that long ago May day has come true in every possible way.  We have the life I had hoped for even though it seemed completely out of reach at the time.

To be clear, my time as a stay at home mom has brought many more "valuable" experiences like our Bible lessons, days at the plantation and Children's Museum with friends, learning to read, piano lessons, lunches with Daddy, along with weeks of frustration, arguments, back-talk, spankings and more.  But I truly believe that when I look back years from now, I will treasure the freedom and spontaneity and the time most of all.