Happy March!
I call March the transformation month here in North Carolina!
Things go from dreary to lush.
Brown to green.
It's a lovely month where we still get to have fires in the fireplace at night,
and enjoy short sleeves during the day.
My daffodils are emerging, and blossoms are starting to bud after a long winter's sleep.
This is a time for renewal, growth, and anticipation of brighter days ahead.
This was my life 20 years ago
in New Jersey, where on March 1st, we were still dead in winter.
In this photo, Oliver and Christian are on the couch in our little house in New Jersey.
One of my favorite memories from that time is when
Christian would come home from work, play with the girls, and hold
Ollie while I made dinner. I often felt busy and overwhelmed,
but I was incredibly happy.
I felt mature and independent.
I felt strong and capable.
I had never felt any of those feelings to this degree until
I was stretched into motherhood at such a young age.
I don't regret anything and am, in fact, so thankful
for the lessons I learned and the challenges I faced up to then
that prepared me for other things that would surely come later.
And they did.
Boy, did they.
Looking back 20 years, I see so clearly the hand of the Lord
guiding me as a mother and our family as a strong little unit.
This little toad, Ollie, is now a strong, grown returned missionary.
His future is SO bright!
But sometimes, I wish I could go back and hold him again,
savor the moments and the smells. (He kind of smelled like a little goat).
But life just keeps "marching" on.
So, happy March!
