Wiley's Wisdom

Joy: From the Ground Up

The Real Waiting Game February 24, 2015

And just like that it all felt real. To me, that is. I know it’s been very real to mom this whole time. And to dad more so after he and Carter watched in awe as the ultrasound took place. But to me it took longer, just like it did the first time.

I wondered all day what was inside the humongous box that arrived at my forever home this morning. I’m usually intrigued at such deliveries, but they are rarely this impressive in size. The delivery man even offered to bring it inside. So began the waiting game, as I wondered and puzzled at what could possibly be contained in such a large cardboard vessel. And patience is not a gift of mine. Somewhere Out There

My questions were answered not very long after dad returned from that place called work. With the help of a very curious dear baby Carter, he tore open the box to reveal several large pieces of wood. About an hour and a half later, voila! It all made sense. Everything pieced together into a beautiful crib for our new little person. Dad hung some of the art he and mom picked out for the room, too. And a mobile just like Carter’s (with a dog that looks just like me) was assembled.

Mom cried at the sight of everything starting to come together. Tears of joy. From the ground up, they are the only kind of tears I don’t mind seeing around my forever home. And in that moment, as I stood by her side in what was not all that long ago dear Carter’s room, it felt real for me.

In a few short months, a new little person will be sleeping in that crib. I can still picture the first time mom and dad carefully placed Carter in his crib. He looked so tiny then. Almost too tiny to be sleeping alone in such a big space. But he survived. And so will the new little person.

That wait to find out what was inside the box was nothing. Now the real waiting game begins for me.

 

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You Are My Sunshine October 19, 2013

I learned some things today. Until today a shower has always been that thing in the bathroom where my people clean themselves. And the sun has always been that bright thing that rises and sets upon each day. It turns out there is more to these words than meets the eye.

The day began like most Saturdays, with my forever people doing chores and various tasks around the house following slightly more family cuddle time than usual. Except today they both kept talking about the shower. I didn’t understand it. It felt like every other word was shower and by noon I was incredibly confused. I remained in a quandary when they left me to go to the shower. It’s right here, I screamed in silence, in the bathroom.Sunshine

So you can imagine my stupor when they returned home a few hours later with presents. Lots of them. And (as is the case with most misunderstandings) it turns out I was missing a very important piece of the contextual puzzle. This shower wasn’t like the one in the bathroom. It was a baby shower, which I now understand to be a shower of gifts to help us all prepare for the arrival of my little person.

Mom and dad shared stories of the afternoon while they revisited each of the gifts. The story that stuck with me most was of two of my favorite little people (Sophie and Abigail) singing a song I hold dear to my heart with my mom’s friend Dorian.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray…you’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Once I got over the initial disappointment of missing the in-person show, these famous words (by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell) sunk a little deeper into my heart. As I sat by watching my people I was overcome with my own sense of gratitude for the situation.

They are my sunshine. My forever people will never know how much I love them, partially because I can’t say so out loud and partially because you can’t put love this big into words. And (at least from what I can tell) amongst the blankies and diapers the greatest gift of all was the love they received today.

I guess you could say they were showered with love. And I was overcome with joy. From the ground up, it was a pretty happy day around here. All of the clouds in the sky could not mask the sunshine in these moments. Joy and gratitude filled their hearts and I realized that is all the sunshine I really need.

I learned some things today. It turns out there is much more to showers and sunshine than meets the eye. Today these words did much more. They touched the heart.

 

Let The Worry Go October 18, 2013

It’s nothing new. Most of us are quite accustomed to it, in fact. Cold Wisconsin winter is no longer a possibility. It’s knocking at our proverbial back door.

I realized it tonight while I was outside in the 40-something evening air. It took my little doggie breath away. In the spring, people would be flinging aside their winter jackets for shorts and flip flops in this weather. Today on the other hand had people layering up with jackets and scarves. Ah, the magic of perspective.

We’ve gotten a bit spoiled with above-average highs in my part of the world, so I think it’s taking some people by surprise. It definitely woke me up enough so that my doggie thoughts started racing with concern. My little person is going to be born in the midst of the coldest time of year around here. January. And that crib contraption will not allow me any amount of nighttime snuggling. Then how on Earth will I keep this precious little person warm?It Looks Warm

That’s when I discovered it. Baby Alexis’ mom Jessica’s gift to my little person. It’s like a tiny cloud. A baby blankie. With a little picture of me on it! Well, not actually a picture of me, but the resemblance is uncanny. I was overcome with relief that even if I can’t keep the baby warm, a little piece of my heart can through that blankie. It wasn’t all that long ago I was gifted my birthday blankie, which I hold dear to my heart as a symbol of connection between my past and present. Well, in this blankie I see my future. And it looks warm.

“Instead of fretting about getting everything done, why not simply accept that  being alive means having things to do?” challenges American sociologist Martha Beck. “Then drop into full engagement with  whatever you’re doing, and let the worry go.”

It’s nothing new to us Wisconsinites. Winter is coming, and with it comes chilly nights. We should be used to it by now. I guess the real problem is the recurring worry I have about the care and protection of the baby. But life has taught me the importance of living in the moment, and that philosophy doesn’t leave much room for concern. Especially when there is cuddling involved.

Related posts

My Bittersweet Birthday Blankie – http://wileyschmidt.com/2013/05/21/my-bittersweet-birthday-blankie/