For someone who doesn't have children of their own, I'm sure at times it may have sounded like finger nails being scraped down a chalk board. For those parent's however, who's child was in the choir, it sounded like a symphony. Each little face beaming with pride, ever glancing in the direction of their own family members in the audience.
I have always said that when you are blessed with the birth of your own child, in that very instant, God takes your heart out of your own body. That new little soul not only possesses a heart of his or her own, but they now house yours as well.
Sitting in the audience with me tonight on my immediate right was my very 'lovely' ex-wife JoAnne. Not only is JoAnne my ex-wife and the mother of my children, but she is one of the bravest, strongest, and funniest women I know. She still has the ability to make me laugh like no one else. She sees through my 'front' and disarms me with single glance. Everyone who knows JoAnne and myself always remark on how well we get along.
We always tell our kids that we are still a 'family', but that Mom and Dad just don't live in the same house any longer. I think it's what makes our kids so well adjusted, they see their parents genuinely care and respect one another. It's something both JoAnne and I are very proud of. It affords us the ability to share our kids effortlessly.
When the kids were smaller and at my house, they would miss their Mom.
I told them that when a family loves one another they are always connected by "Heart Strings". So at bedtime, if they got teary about missing "Mommy" I would tell them to send her a message on their "Heart Strings", we would then sit and wait for a response. Within moments they would tell me that she had sent a message back, an "I love you" or such. They would do the same the nights they were at Jo's and missing me. They are turning 11 and 9 this year, and haven't needed to talk about "Heart Strings" for a while. Just for the record, mine are still connected, not only to Nick and Alex, but to the woman who was on my right this evening.
2 comments:
Darran, you never cease to amaze me in your ability to make me cry at a moment's notice. You write so nicely and I think the world could use a few more Darran's in it.
Even though sometimes in my life when I've had enough of it all, even when my last nerve is being stretched even that much thinner, I am at inner peace with the fact that I have your arms - still after all these years - reaching out my way if/when I need them.
It allows me to have the support with the kids that I require and the peace within that I/we are not subjecting them to a life of fighting, he said, she said nonsense and they know they are truly loved.
Thank you for your beautiful words Darran. We've come a long way together and I look forward to the future and all that will bring us.
I wrote this for part of a song once, but never finished it...
"And when I turn to look back over my shoulder and you are standing there, showing me that you will be there till the bitter end, I smile and continue on the road, knowing that you are my one true friend."
Cheers!
Frisby out!
Thanks darlin', I've always got your back ;)
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