Surviving "Senior Night"

Last Thursday evening I had to endure "Senior Night", a silly ritual supposedly meant to "honor" parents of senior basketball players and dance team members. My dance team daughter had phoned me from school that morning saying "Mom, if you don't come, I will look like an idiot!". Whatever. After rushing through evening calf chores and trying in vain to coax my hair to lift and look perky, off to the dreaded event I went. The gym bleachers were full of people on the home side, so I went over to the other side and sat down. I dislike trying to find a seat in a crowded place......it's almost like a phobia for me; a feeling which stems from my childhood when I had to step onto a crowded schoolbus every morning. The bus seats would be full of kids, mostly older and snotty, who would just sit there and stare at me.....as if to say, "why are you here?". So, it's a discomfort that returns whenever I have to enter a crowded place and look for a seat.

Luckily, the place I chose to sit was next to one of Husband's cousin's kids, who now has kids of her own. It was fun to catch up on the news of that side of the family. Too soon, however, over the loudspeaker came instructions for the senior parents to line up out in the hall. Then, as our names were announced we parents had to walk out onto the gym floor to meet our senior child, hug them, and receive a wilty yellow rose. Oh, I know, it sounds like a wonderful parental experience, but I don't care for being in front of an audience, standing there in line with all the working moms who have perky hair! But, it satisfied my daughter. It should be encouraging and heartwarming that she wants to be seen with me, I guess!

On Friday, I ventured to town even though the temperatures were still below zero. While unloading the recycling items, I slipped on the ice and fell, dropping a pile of magazines which went blowing around in the wind. My arm caught on the corner of the recycling bin, giving me a sore shoulder for a few days. Nothing serious. Had fun shopping the rest of the day. I'm magnetically drawn to the word "CLEARANCE"; much time was spent at store shelves and clothes racks labelled as such. And, as always, there was a lengthy grocery list in my purse, so I couldn't head for home until that shopping task was done, too.

Over the weekend, the weather improved, with temperatures reaching into the 20's above zero. Felt like a heat wave!

I found another old book stuffed away in a cupboard. A tiny worn volume entitled God's Message: A Book of 365 Daily Meditations for Home Worship. A hand-written message inside the front cover indicates the book was given as a marriage gift to my great uncle and aunt by a pastor in 1942. I've been trying to read the messge for each day. The one for February 14 was well worth pondering for me:

"In playing upon a harp, it is said, it requires as much skill to know

upon which strings to place the fingers to stop their vibration as to

know which strings to strike to bring out their music. Life is infinitely

more musical than a harp and the heart is capable of greater

harmonies than all the instruments made by man.

What we need so deeply in our lives is the uplift and comfort of peace,

and that is to possess a singing soul. We need something to keep

our soul in tune and that is to know what to include and what to

exclude. Outward trouble and commotions there may be which sweep

across our lives but they are powerless to invade that inner

sanctuary.

Just as the ocean may be wind-swept and storm-tossed, but the waves

sink no further below the level than they rise about it, while

underneath are the tranquil depths where the myriad life of the ocean

goes on. This our peace:........God's greatness flows 'round our

incompleteness, 'round our restlessness His rest."

(by Rev. Charles Woodcock, St. Matthews, Kentucky)

My goal would be to improve knowing what to include and exclude in my life. And to better recognize and appreciate the presence of the "tranquil depths".

Peace to you this day.