Hands of Time

Hands of Time, by Eric Church played on the radio as I rolled down the road in our Chevy Express. In the rearview mirror, heads bounced, voices loud of laughter, chatter, curious questions, and of course "Hey! so-and-so took my spot!". We were on our way to visit my mom, drop off kids to piano practice, and return a few (not yet overdue) library books. Ordinary life has a way of losing its charm if we get too close. I am guilty of missing the best part of me and my life.

I recently tip-toed a bit deeper into my forties. I'm now officially in the second half of life. Whoever claimed that midlife starts in your fifties? Honestly, it arrives sooner, and life speeds up as it approaches. That's life—a reflection on the past and a glimpse of what's ahead.

I am in the phase of life, maybe a little too soon, when letting go of things is easier, as letting go of loved ones becomes more and more difficult.

Eight-year-old me and our dog, Dutchess

Visting my mom, I came across a box full of old photos. I remember spending hours on the old tire swing attached to a willow tree in our back yard. A simple time when summer lasted forever until the school year beckoned again in the fall. My mom reminded me that today is my dad's birthday. He passed a few years ago. I still can't wrap my heart around his loss. I miss him. I miss his wisdom and encouragement, his listening ear. He put that tire swing in the tree for my brothers and me.

When people ask me, "How does a mom with so many kids manage her own laundry and now take on even more?" I often find myself unsure of the answer. However, I am thankful for the opportunity to do it. It genuinely makes me happy! There is a sense of peace in the everyday, mundane tasks of life. In this fast-paced world, which is only getting faster, I am glad to help lighten the load for others. If doing laundry for someone else brings them peace, eases their burden, and frees up their time, that's my motivation.

Ope! The dryer just beeped, time to get folding

Gina