Thursday, June 23, 2011

What You Monitor

Today my youngest cries out, "Mom, please tell me that you have not written your blog for today!"

"I haven't written my blog for today," I tell her.  "Why?"

"Well, I found the thing you are supposed to write about!"

"You did?" I ask.

"Yes!  Come with me!  There's a little twig hanging from our balcony, and I just know it's a bird's nest." 

I go out onto the balcony, and there I see all sorts of tiny bird nests tucked into the gutters, the light posts, and even in the railings.  I hadn't noticed them before, but now, they were everywhere.  The one by the neighbor's light post has two blue eggs in it.

"What should I write in the blog?"  I ask her.

"Tell everybody this:  I traveled a very long way to Colorado.  I found a bird's nest, and now I have things to check on every morning like I did back in Pennsylvania."

I realize how important--how wonderful--it is for children to observe something growing.  A vegetable garden, a bird's nest, their own bodies. . .

Adults take great delight in monitoring growth, but I think we forget the pleasure in it.  Maybe that's why I love listening to a professor teach me the book of Romans and help me look back over my own spiritual growth.  Maybe that's why I blog every single day.  I'm monitoring my own ability to find the one good thing each day, no matter what.  

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Journal:  What growing thing are you monitoring today?

6 comments:

Patricia said...

What I LOVE about this, Heather, is the example you are to your children. What a gift you are giving them, as well as your readers.

Melissa said...

So cute to hear that and learn the perspective of children. You may have never known that without the blog! I love it! Missing you!

Reena said...

That's what I love about blogging ... I pay more attention to the small things around me ... since I'm always searching for topics! LOL

Phil B said...

To add to Patricia's comment...What I love about this is how your children are an example to you! Somewhere in the Bible it talks about us needing to become like children.

What a noble goal that is!!

Amy Sullivan said...

Clicking over from THC (although I've been to your place before!).

I love it when our kids remind us of the important things! My daughter always cracks me up when she comes to me with a blog idea.

What growth am I monitoring today? I have pink calla lilies that just sprung up. . .pink! They are beautiful.

JoAnn Foley-DeFiore said...

I think, also, that little miss K. was looking for some real tangible similarity between her life in PA. and her life in CO. Now she feels like she is 'home.' I miss those girls. give them a hug for me.