My Chunky Life - Guest Blogger Betty

I often think of my life in Chunks.  Each time I’m in a chunk, it seems as if it will last forever. For instance, when I was a little girl, I thought I would always live at home and have my mom there to take care of me. I would always have my own room, surrounded by my favorite stuffed animals and toys. Summers seemed to go by quickly but waiting for Christmas took forever. Now it’s the opposite….summer drags on and Christmas comes and goes in the blink of an eye.

When childhood ended and I entered the rocky teen years, I again thought that time of life would last forever. My best friend Dorothy and I would always be close, sharing talk of boys and makeup and clothes. Again, my mom would always be there to take care of me and love me unconditionally. Now Dorothy is in another state and we have lost touch.

Then came the college years. Those were good years, in a way. I learned a lot about life, how to make my way in the world, and how to make an awesome macaroni and cheese casserole. (Box of Kraft, can of tuna, can of peas.) Once again, I thought that time would never end. And again, mom would always be there to listen to me and love me. Thankfully, I no longer live in a dorm or eat Kraft mac and cheese. It’s Velveeta all the way now.

Fast forward to the young adult time. I had nobody to care for except myself. I worked, dated, exercised regularly and saw all the latest movies. I slept late on weekends. Worked on my tan. Improved my macaroni and cheese casserole recipe. (Add breadcrumbs and a side salad.) I spent time at mom’s house watching General Hospital  and the Galloping Gourmet and Jeapardy. Now I exercise sporadically and occasionally see a movie. Yes, I will be at the 12:01 a.m. showing of The Hunger Games on March 23.

When I got married, I moved into a new chunk of life. It was a time full of promise. I read ­Bride magazine and House Beautiful and (ashamedly) Cosmopolitan, absorbing all of the tips and techniques of being a good wife. My husband and I would go boating, to the beach, or out with friends. There were no huge responsibilities except work and learning how share living space. (I always got the larger share of the closet, bless his heart.)

The next chunk of my life was bittersweet. Our first child, Emily, was born and my mother died in the span of about 13 months. As I write this, tears are leaking from a place I thought was healed. I do miss her terribly. She was funny and smart and loved me. Around that time I began to realize that nothing lasts forever, except the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Good times do not last, but neither do bad times.

Emily was (is) the joy of my life. I poured out my love on her, reading all the books about parenting I could get my hands on. I volunteered to be a Sunday School teacher, I went to playgroups and parks and theme parks. I read Goodnight Moon and sang “Jesus Loves Me” to this little bundle of goodness. I even made up a song for her “She’s my little Emily, she’s my tiny tender pea”. That’s one I made up as I was re-creating the above mentioned casserole, this time using frozen “tiny tender” peas. Those were such sweet days.

Seven years after Emily’s arrival, baby Lauren arrived to bless our family. Again, the days have been so sweet with Lauren.  When Lauren was a baby, I met Joann. Sarah and Lauren became friends when they were still in strollers!  

Right now I’m at the end of a chunk of my life. Little Emily is now a beautiful 18 year old who will graduate high school in May. Thank God He has taught me to “number my days aright” so I do not take any of this for granted. My youngest is becoming confident and independent. I know that in the not too distant future I will let them both find their way in life. I’m also glad that God has taught me that these girls are not mine. They are His, and I am blessed to be here to teach them His ways.

And why am I writing all of this on Joann’s blog? Well, it’s to try to explain my view of the chunkiness of life and to express my feelings about how fortunate I am to have her as a my friend in this chunk of life and as a friend for eternity in our future with Christ.