manrymission.com

Many parents try to influence their children to enter the family business; be it a restaurant, pawn shop, or law firm. Both my Mom and Dad served a stint in the Air Force and one brother and I joined the Army. Dale’s Daddy had a military career with combined service in the Air Force and the Army. Dale and three of his siblings joined the Army. His one sister, who did not join the military, has one son in the Army and another son soon to join.

Dale and I are attempting to avoid this parenting path. We have told our children we will not force them into the military.

After Josiah registered to take the ACT, he began receiving admissions info from various universities. Upon receiving material from a college in Vermont, he looked the university up on line and discovered a frequently googled query, “Do only hippies go to this college?”

Yesterday, he received an admissions letter in an embossed envelope with “Your exclusive nomination is enclosed” printed on the outside. He looked at it and set it down. He did not even bother to open it.

The letter was from VMI.

Last night, I was in the kitchen making cookies, and Zeke was in the sun room counting “how many doctors would it take” as he jumped rope. How Cinderella could possibly have kissed a snake has always been a mystery to me.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

It was Josiah calling. Dale thought it clever to set unique ring tones for members of our family. Josiah’s ring tone sounds like a bugler’s rally call to the cavalry for help. I thought, “That’s odd for Josiah to call…where is he right now?…oh yeah…UPSTAIRS.”

Zeke answered the phone and I listened to one half of the conversation incredulously. Zeke hung up the phone and said, “Patches threw up in the hall.”

“Josiah called from upstairs to tell us the cat threw up? He can’t walk over to Abby’s room and get her?” I asked. Zeke looked at me confused. “Go upstairs and get Abby,” I told him.

At this point, Gabe decided to get involved and start the search for the cat vomit. He thudded up the stairs like a herd of elephants. Gabe thuds wherever he goes. Earlier, Zeke was trying to get Gabe to jump rope and I told Zeke to give it up. “Gabe cannot bounce,” I said “He can only thud.” His footfall when running literally pounds the pavement. Gabe is loud in all things. “I found it! I found the vomit!’ he yelled down the steps. Meanwhile, Zeke informed Abby and she cleaned it up.

Later, when Josiah had made it back downstairs, I asked him, “Were you too lazy to get up and walk down the hall to get your sister?”

“No,” he replied, “My door was closed and I didn’t want to go out because I didn’t know where in the hallway she had thrown up .”

My 17 year old son was trapped. Trapped by cat vomit.

Over the weekend, we received a few days of sleet and freezing rain. I made a sleet cake to celebrate and this morning, the kids got a two hour delay for school because of the freezing rain. Not quite the joy that a snow day brings, but two extra hours of sleep certainly brings a smile.

A few pictures from our recent visit to Longwood University:

In the angst of all mothers who have laid aside their personal pursuits and have spent their lives teaching and caring for their children I sit. The future is not within my control. Success or failure, diligence or apathy, care or disregard, they choose.

If they choose poorly…What then?

Awhile ago, there was a young man who had great success in high school and was accepted into the top universities in the nation. He declined them.

(His Mama prayed.)

He attended a local college but dropped out after one semester.

(His Mama prayed.)

His buddy joined the Army. On a lark, he joined too.

(His Mama prayed.)

A platoon leader made him sign a paper, and he was shipped off to prep school and then West Point.

(His Mama prayed.)

A year ago, he retired from the Army after 23 years of service.

That man is my husband. His Mama had faith in our God.

The path my children walk might not be a straight one.

Will I lose hope?

Or will I pray?

“Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.” J Sidlow Baxter