Labor--and Life--Perspective

We just enjoyed an afternoon visit from Annetta L., a lovely lady from church. She enjoys sitting on our front porch (in fact, she gave us the handcrafted wood sign that adorns said porch in the spring, summer, and early fall that says "Come Sit On My Porch"), but today we sat around the kitchen table because a fine April shower is falling outside and the preternaturally summer-esque days of earlier this week have melted into cool, more seasonal weather. She's in her mid-80s and has lived an amazing life, not in the Hollywood sense but in the everyday vocationally blessed life that God gives each of us. She comes from a family of 15 (isn't it incredible that our freak-show fascination with families like the Duggars is merely a few generations removed from families like Annetta's?), and she and her husband had 9 children within 10 years. She told us about when she birthed her daughter Darlene and the doctor said, "It's a girl! But there's another one coming," and then son Daryl appeared. Annetta said, "If I hadn't been lying down on the table I would have fallen over." Talk about a way to find out you're expecting twins! Annetta's family didn't have running water or indoor bathrooms when the kids were young--and of course, no disposable diapers--and frankly, when I hear stories like Annetta's I am more and more convinced that my life is cake. She graciously said that the world is different now, but I can't believe that life itself is harder in a world in which we (meaning average Americans) never worry about fresh water, toilets, whether or not we've got enough food, etc. I don't mean to belittle the exhausting work that motherhood with conveniences can be like; in a few weeks (or less) I'm sure I'll be in tears from constant breastfeeding, laundry, cooking... the especially intense early weeks of new babyhood (plus an adjusting toddler). But I hope I remember when those moments come how easy I really have it. AND, as Annetta so gently and subtly shared, how fast this time goes (see precious P birthday pic from the last post).



J on our porch, back around when P was born.