The Grass is always greener on the other side.

A friend (of 30 years) read my blog yesterday...you might have too...

The difference between her and I is that my oldest is 9 (obviously my children will be in the house a couple more years.) Hers are just about ready to fly the coop. And she really is "missing" already some of those things that I joked about yesterday. (Well, I wasn't joking about all of them :) So in honor of her, the wonderful mother she has been, faithful, kind, generous with her kids, present in their every day living, supportive and loyal to them...N...this is for you

My parents weren't perfect. After therapy I realized they did the best they could with what they had. Something they did right from the get go was they exposed us to good things. They exposed us to church, reading, family time, and something called "education week". For those that are not familiar with this Mormon vernacular, education week brings together seminar like speakers from a variety of walks of life. I learned a lot and developed many opinions in my many years of education weeks. We joked they had a class for everything from A-Z... anorexia to zest for living. My parents were often found in one of two places...classes to enhance their marriage or classes to enhance their parenting skills. One such parenting speaker they loved so much they bought his tapes and we listened to him in the car a million times. (You know on a TAPE...my daughter found one the other day and said...Mom, WHAT IS THIS!?? I thought MAN I AM OLD!)

Anyway...I wish that I could credit the speaker for the part of this that is his...I really would if I could but I was eight and in a few weeks that will be 30 years ago...yes I am getting old, NO I don't remember his name. So if you know who he is just pipe in...and please don't sue me...I have no intention of stealing anything...but the advice was priceless.

Sorry for the long intro: Here it goes N.

There was once a man and woman that loved each other. They courted, got engaged and got married. They finally scraped together enough money to get a house and the man loved his space. He took the yard down to dirt, laid sprinklers and planted the best grass seed after months of careful research. He watered and fertilized this yard of his and the grass grew. His wife was not allowed NEAR the grass. He erected caution tape around the perimeter of the yard and forbade all to cross it. The grass came in lovely and finally after what seemed like an eternity but was really more like 8 months they were allowed to walk on it. Over the next few years children came. In succession one after the other...someone told them to stop washing their underware together...That person needs the birds and bees talk don't you think? But here they were first with one, then two, three, four and currently FIVE children (The vet asks are these ALL yours, the mother replies NO I borrowed some to bring to the appointment!).

With children came playsets...the father gasped, NOT ON MY GRASS. The mother smiled, "It will come back"

With children came slip n slides...the father screeched, NOT ON MY GRASS. The mother smiled, "It will come back"

The baseball games that got ever more agressive over the years, and tag, and red light, green light, mother may I, and babies that pull up grass in handfuls and the father cried, not my grass! And the mother smiled, "It will come back."

One day she told him they will all grow up and move away. We are not raising grass, we are raising children. The grass will come back, but childhood never will. (She knew this beautiful principle because she had heard it in the car for so many years, on that little tape player...but she laughed because It was her real life. Sometimes art imitates life, sometimes life imitates art.)

We only have today to live today. We only get ONE shot at today. I don't want to be know either in heaven or by my children for growing perfect grass. So read more to your children...I will talk about my mother reading another day. Dance in the rain, turn the radio up in your house with the kids home and make a fool out of yourself...They will not care about your degrees or job accolades but they will never forget how you make them feel. And if you make them feel cherished even though childhood will NEVER COME BACK, they will.

Make it a great day, only YOU can!