Milestones

Thinking of all the parental milestones one hears about, it is truly amazing to experience one.

The moment of conception, the birth of a child, the child’s first word, first step and even potty training for some reason is ecstasy for every parent. There are all kinds of firsts before the one first that cause the mom and dad to hold their breath in a strangle hold before exhaling; the first day of school.

This first is like no other. This first is when Mom and Dad hand their child over, their gift that they have reared, nursed and yes, done the potty training bit. This is the first that someone else looks into their eyes and says, “I’ve got this.”

 And their child says, “I’ve got this.” (Or not).

And it really doesn’t matter what the parent feels inside, Mom and Dad have to look their child in the eyes, the child’s soul and say, “We know.”

From this moment, Mom and Dad know everything has changed.

True? Yes. Right? It should be.

Of course, the child still runs to the parents for every single bit of support. Yet there is that hunt for independence that wasn’t there before. And the family is ready for the search.

We know.

Our family is ready for the search.

Milestones are part of growing and growing up.

But turning the child over doesn’t make the inner soul feel any less parental, only more so. That mixture of joy and ache is a victory to be savored. The next milestone is nearer. Children will soon bring children of their own to life. 

Ah, I read that I am being cryptic again. I am inspired by our spiritual NYC body, growing in number, faith, knowledge, example and wisdom; walking in Jesus steps and living as He would have us live. Our family is growing, reaching one milestone after another. 

And so it begins.

No, not the fantastic Olympics of 2012. They have been amazing have they not? I simply can not decide which sport I shall be taking up after watching these athletes perform.

No, not the hope of cooling Fall weather. HA.

No, not the joy of the recent hair cut--so long overdue.

What you ask?  Hubbie's birthday week! And what a week we have planned. For the first time we have decided to do a full week of birthday celebrations, partly to make up for a few years we had to skip but mostly because it sounds fun.

The goal is to travel as far as we can on the public transportation system to some destination we've not been to before. The trip itself can last a long time and you can meet people from all over the world.

Today we rode the A train to #1 where we met two families from France going to see the Statue of Liberty. That is a normal thing here. Hubbie meets a family from distant lands almost every weekend while volunteering at the South Sea Sea Port, but that's another story.

From the #1, we board the Staten Island Ferry, lower desk along with at lease 4 thousand other people (I jest) and three school groups, each grouped in separated neon colored t-shirts. Going toward Staten Island, we lingered over the Governors Island side. On the return trip, we shuttled over the Statue of Liberty Side--another family from another country, I forget where, sorry.

Let's see, A to 1 to ferry oh, then the train for the full length of Staten Island. Beautiful ride if you've never taken it to the end. There really is nothing to see, only a wire fence and river channel, but it is really cool to have done it. Also, the few block around the area had a gingerbread house painted purple, yellow and green. I am sure I would have gone simply to have seen that house.

All in all, we rode 3 trains and one boat today for the cost of one round way subway fare. Not bad!

Tomorrow? City Island!

SEVEN NEW SISTERS

God's family is huge. There has been two millennium of brothers and sisters who have born and died that I will one day meet. Add those to the rest of the living family that are not-yet and now known, that is quite a reunion.

But today--what a day--today, God by His grace blessed seven beautiful women with salvation, adoption and a huge family. The ladies acted out of obedience and were baptized.

Being a part of His family, I'm seven times blessed, oh why bother with numbers? It was / is an amazing unity of souls, rejoicing and praising God's name.

Everywhere... everyday... everyone...

God

Hang on everybody.

I have about 4 posts in draft mode.

I'd love to say that I was perfecting each post -- so, why not! :-)

The truth is by uh, after perfecting them for so long, my current browser will no longer work with some stuff. In fact, after this weekend, some of you may be dealing with Internet issues as well.

Sooooooo, I'll be hunting for a browser that wants to read my blog :-).

As soon as all is tip top, Apartment 3G will be observing life again!

Thanks guys.

Lindy

Seam Lock

Today I reached into my sewing basket. There was that really handy bottle of seam lock stuff my dear friend from down South backed away in my bags the last visited.

The product glues down threads that you cut to make into buttonholes (or rather someone else has!) and thus they last a bit longer. This ingenious product just might make the Sharpie product line go out of business in my house as I truly color in worn out buttonholes with Sharpies--don't you?

Of course, I've been doing that with purses for years. I've got a 33 year old purse that looks brand new, as long as I keep it out of the rain!

Obviously, reaching for that stuff made me think of my BFF.  She is a great seamstress. When I think of the great seamstresses that I know, I think of my sister and her.

But when I take down my sewing basket, Mom fills my mind. We never sat at the machine together or darned or anything like that. But we did little things like sewing on buttons. I watched her thread a needle and learned how to hand sew a lock stitch. It was so amazing to see her do such mundane but valuable things. She was always so overwhelmed by tasks, kids, duties and my antics. To watch her quietly pick up a shirt as if she had nothing else to do and whip up a torn hem or sew on a button -- I was in rapture.

But that must be what most mom's do. Take out time from a crazy day and quietly do what else needs to be done. No muss, no fuss, just do.

And so my sewing basket is precious to me. No, Mom was not a big sewer when I was a kid. But I don't remember any lose buttons or ripped hems, probably thanks to Big Sister or me after I was big enough to handle the scissors without a spanking.

Sister taught me to sew and so much more. But Mom gave me a look that said, "This is important honey, learn it well and tuck it away until you need it. Place it in your catalog of a thousand chores under no muss, no fuss, just do."

I see Mom's look when I pull out the sewing basket.

AUX NYPD Graduation, Wall / Door / Hat

IT HAPPENED!

After canceling / rescheduling four times, it happened. The New York Police Department graduated the Auxiliary Police class of 2012 on June 5th, 2012.

All invited guests had also rescheduled, some canceling bus and plane tickets. Finally, none could reschedule again. Only dutiful spouses and doting parents attended. We were surprised by two out-of-town guests who's original invitation prevented attendance, who did attend as the latest schedule allowed it!

And what a graduation night! At least it wasn't raining...

Many special announcements had been made that the doors would "open" at six o'clock while the event would start at 7 PM. One simply had to be there at 6 PM to get a decent seat. No big deal, this is NYC. Everyone knows in order to get a seat at the nearest park bench, reservations must be made a whole season before hand.

Raymon left far earlier than I as he and his fellow grads had to gather together, rehearsal and do all manor of grad stuff way out in Brooklyn and then drive into Manhattan. In full dress uniform no less. I don't know why.

Making sure to arrive at exactly 6 PM, I messed up and got there around 6:10. Oddly, the mammoth crowd was only about twenty deep.  According to all the announcements, weren't the doors suppose to be open now?

About 6:20 PM, some door did open. And this un-mighty crowd shuffled forward for the sole purpose to have our purses, watches and cell phones checked, airport style. (Not as extensively as we got to keep our shoes on.)

"Out the door and stand against the wall to your left". He raised his voice slightly so that we could hear him. He seemed a little embarrassed about the whole thing.

Okay, I'm ready, where is THE door! That wasn't THE door was it?

No.
 
Now we had THE wall. All of us desperate family members and relatively few friends are now standing against the building wall. (All of us are looking for any door now.) Directed to stand there by the next set of very efficient fellows, it seems that we must wait here to enter THE door.

Standing. Outside. For 30 + minutes. (remember the rain?)

And we all had lots to say standing against the wall; plenty to discuss about the Mayor, the way things were being run, the disabled and / or pregnant women who had to be somewhere against that wall in some sort of need and most especially--good grief, what if we had really done something wrong!

Oh yes, we all really had something to say. Do? Nah.

And promptly 10 minutes before graduation, THE door opened and we all trotted into mass chaos -- five minutes of finding a seat, it was the most fun I'd had in days.

Graduation. In under one hour, he was declared along with the rest of the five borough classes among the many courageous AUX NYPD officers. It was memorable and lovely. I got to meet many of those he works with and who have come to respect him.

One of several memorable moments of the evening was when the band played jazz music for the entrance of the colors.

There was and is much about the AUX NYPD graduation that hangs in my mind. But the faces under the hats showed more than humanity, they all showed a youthfulness no matter their age and wisdom, a determination to hope and to seek goodness.



When was the last time you saw godliness reflected in a police uniform?

Could / Can Jesus Be Surprised?

Once again I stand, rather, sit amazed at a new thought. Jesus was as humanly touched as all of those he healed.

Was Jesus as effected as those healed? Did he always know that healing was ahead? I was always taught that as an omnipotent being, he did. Even when He whirled around asking, "Who touched me?"

(This is another topic which has filled commentaries and thesis's I have not read, you can if you want.)

His power to heal was divine, not human. So his experience and that of the woman was not the same. Nor could it be. Well that makes sense. Until they looked at each other and knew the result, not of the healing but the result....I think they both had the same emotions. Happiness that the yuckiness was over and joy that salvation was in place.

Now that I need to clearly explain that to myself, I find myself going...uh?

Sure, mercy and immense love where there, even empathy played a role; without that, why bother. But I think I am talking about wonder, amazement, happiness--real joy, and faith both in human beings and in His father.

(off topic, sortta) Did Jesus, even though God is His Father, ever get a faith shot? Needed or not?

Did my Jesus, as a human on this earth, experience every single emotion along with us plus divine and whatever emotions go with that?

What do you think?

I'm stumped, I gotta ask Him.


~~~~~
[If you haven't read The Five People You Meet In Heaven or you haven't interacted with some random person just noticing that they are a child of God--do it. I keep trying to do all these great Jesus acts in other peoples lives and before I get a chance, they have effected me. Past blogs: the lady with the fan, Primo across the street, the teens from 24/7, the deli, hubbie's waitress, the student, the Mother's day Spiritual daughters and more are the audio of Jesus in my life...]