feeling nostalgic lately..

I have never really suffered from the fact that my nest is

almost empty. I am proud that one of the babies is

independent and the other is finding her way there.

I don't long for the old days very often.

I like being the Mother of two grown children.

Having said all of this, I still have my moments

when I miss the days of raising the babies.

On Sunday, while sitting in church

it seems that everyone sitting next to me had

a baby or a child either sleeping in their arms

or screaming to get loose.

Church always gets my memory going.

It was always the one place that I felt the closest

to the babies. There they had to sit quietly by

me and allow me to share the love I had for them.

They were often seen hugging on me,

allowing me to caress their hands.

They tell me now that it was out of pure boredom

and not wanting to be there.

For me, it was memories that I will cherish forever.

It is sometimes hard to see these two rugrats in the adults

they now are. I guess that is why this week I have missed

the little ones more.

Baby girl, soon to be flying from the nest to find her way

in the world knowing that her family home will

now just be her safety net for when she needs some loving,

food, or quiet time.

Yet, when I look at her sometimes, just for seconds,

this is the one I see in her face.

It is the way with Mothers...

Baby boy, soon to hold his own precious baby girl in

his own arms is a long way away from this little

boy in this picture. I so look forward to

sometimes sit in church with his own little girl

and share with her how I had to rub his hand from palm

to fingertip for an hour just to keep him still.

I hope to hold her own little hand in mines as

I rub her palm. I want to feel her little cheek

on my shoulder as she falls asleep to the sound

of music in what will become her family church.

Of course, thinking of the baby's growing up years

has me also remembering the days of my own

childhood that I spent in this home.

Lately I have wondered, because we had so many

homes while my babies were growing up,

would they have the nostalgic feelings that I do of this home.

I realized this week that it is not so much the building

we called home but the people who lived with them

in these homes.

I pray that wherever HOBL and I are,

will be where the babies remember their childhoods.

HOME, may they always know the road

that leads them there.