January 02, 2010

Washing Dishes and Mashing Potatoes

In a few moments I'm off to begin (or continue) my contemplative/reflecting day. We all have one of these days around January 1, don't we? Its time to write down the hopes, dreams, and goals I would like to accomplish in 2010. This also requires reminiscing about the past year and more specifically the last couple of weeks. Not to mention thinking through the last decade and realizing it was 10 years ago this month I was with the college choir in Hawaii. 10 years!

I am a journal-er, and hadn't made it to writing about my trip to MI yet. As I thinking about my favorite family moments,I surprised myself. One of my favorite moments was Christmas Eve when I was doing dishes with Kathleen and Laura. I was in charge of putting the items away because "I knew where things went at mom's house". In one of my many attempts to figure out exactly where mom's "fancy" dishes actually went, I turned around and stopped for a moment. I watched two groups of family members working on the puzzles mom had given us, I saw another texting and, of course, dishes being done. We were just being. And it was real, genuine, honest. For a too brief moment all was well.

Another favorite moment was Christmas day. Christmas morning I help my grandmother get ready for the arrival of the rest of the family. Mashed potatoes and stuffing are on my to-do list when I arrive. This has become a very sweet tradition to me. I get my own "grandma" time without anyone interrupting. She lets me in on family updates, and more importantly--on her secrets. If I listen carefully I can hear heart and see how she's really doing. Its not often she lets people in enough to see her heart. I am forever grateful for these moments.

Washing dishes and mashing potatoes--its not as trivial as you may think.

2 comments:

April said...

:)

Anonymous said...

What a great way to end the year! Praying you are blessed in 2010.

Love you MOM