Mother's Day Reminder

Mother's Day was yesterday and the best gift I could ever receive was the bedtime prayer of my sweet 8 year old.

"Jesus thank you for letting my mom be my mom."

I. die. 

Not a gift card, spa package or flower can reach in a grip a heart like the words of a grateful child.

So Precious and I am so thankful to hear his prayer. I cannot tell you the joy in my heart to hold the hands, touch the faces, and kiss the cheeks of the children I never thought I would have. 

His sweet prayer was an answer to a prayer I cried through 16 years ago. 

As much as I love this day, I do not get through it without thinking of those of us who love to see it leave. It's a reminder of what we do not have or what our heart aches for most. 

After having a few conversations this week about the loss of children, I couldn't help but re-post a blog that explains the silent struggle of us who have endured this day.

I'm Glad Mother's Day is Done

Blessings!

copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All Rights Reserved.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

"That was Cool Mom!"

I am completely captivated by my oldest son. He is intelligent, comical, and extremely talented.  He is my heart and I treasure his smile.

He is 14.

So the little boy who used to tell me everything about his day and ask to take my hand with him to school has grown up.

His words are few.

He eats everything.

His smiles have changed from the excitement of our time together to him telling stories about his time with friends.

A few days ago he asked me to come outside and ride his longboard.  He wanted me to "bomb some sick hills" with him. (That's skateboard down a hill for us who are over 35)

I agreed.  Of course I did.  My 14 year old son is not asking me to longboard. He's asking me to spend time with him. So I go. I accept the challenge.

That's not me! That's my boy and the sick hill I  bombed!

As I walked outside, the only thought I had was that when I was younger I had a red skateboard with metal wheels and I made it do what it DO! Do you hear me?!  I was the skateboarding QUEEN! 

Hills. No problem.

Turns. How many?

Stopping. Why?

So of course I was READY!

I bravely got on the board.

And something began to happen.. It wasn't familiar. Wobbling of some sort.

I wondered who took my BALANCE because it was not with me!

My body kept moving without my permission.  I began to try to get some control. It wanted to fall and I kept fighting it.  And that was only one foot.

When I carefully placed my other foot on the board, my hands automatically went straight up in the air.  It was like they were on autopilot. What is happening?!

Where are the breaks?

Wait. Just wait. It's moving by itself. Why?  I don't remember this.

My mind told me that I could do it. Over and over. My body told me that my mind lied. Over and over.

I can't stop now though. I gotta keep going. I can do this!

My son looked at me with excitement. I couldn't figure out if he smiled at my bravery or he was picturing me falling!

So I push off and proceed to go downhill. WHY did I choose to go down a hill?

Oh NOW my mind wants to be rational!  Now it's asking the right questions. I'm rolling down a hill! A HILL!

My mind changed and began to betray me. It proceeded to tell me about death on a skateboard. It flashed pictures of me falling and breaking bones. It whispered to me that I could fall and knock out my front teeth. Lord knows that dental insurance does not cover implants!

I'm rolling faster. This is crazy. WHAT am I doing?

How do I turn?

My kids are screaming "Go Mommy!"

I go. Hands up in air. The ground moving quickly past me.

How do I stop?!

Abort! Abort!

My mind quickly told me "You are doing it! GO!"

I raise my hand in victory and yelled out!

My body said "fool...you are going to DIE!"

I jumped off!

My heart beating ferociously from excitement and terror!

Then I must act cool because I made it do what it do again.

He was completely excited and I was still ALIVE!

He smiled and said "that was cool mom."

That statement made it all worth it!

He will not remember my inner turmoil or my gripping fear.

He will remember the time when his mom bombed a sick hill with him.

And then he will smile.

Life is quick. Busy. Our kids are growing fast. We want so much for them but mostly they just want our time. They want to share with us what they enjoy.

And when we do.

They will smile.

Yes...even 14 year old boys!



Blessings!



copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All Rights Reserved. Images for this blog only.

These Days

These Days...

I can't even begin to tell you about the twists and turns life has taken me. I am grateful. At the time of the twist or turn, I can't say that my first thought was "I'm grateful." It was something like "Are you kidding me?!"

Older women often encourage me and say "enjoy these days because you will miss them!"

I try to remember that as I scrub stains from my carpet or clean toilet seats. There's a bunch of stuff happening during these magical days. It's easy to get lost in the madness of it all.

Raising our three children, my husband and I often find ourselves bending in the winds of their lives. Homework, chores, extracurricular activities, and their many personalities are enough to keep us busy at all times.

This weekend our family traveled to San Antonio, Texas where our oldest son participated in a State Mariachi Competition.  In one day, we sat through eight hours of mariachi music. Any music for eight hours straight is enough to cause babbling, extreme hallucinations and mild depression. Trust me on this one!

During this exercise of waterboarding, my husband looked at me with a sweet smile and said "We're making memories."

Then it hit me!

"enjoy these days because you will miss them!"

I sat there and looked around.  The room fell silent. I turned around and looked at the face of my son. He smiled. He and his friends had faces of anticipation and excitement. They listened. I noticed the eyes of their director that were filled with confidence and hope. She listened. I captured the faces of their administrators and teachers who traveled to offer encouragement and support. They were proud. They listened. My daughter held my hand and my youngest son offered me another kiss. My husband pulled me closer.

I inhaled to remember the smells. I closed my eyes to hear what my eyes missed.

I cried a few tears and whispered "Lord thank you."

Immediately, I changed my perspective. It was no longer an elongated grim experience. It was my children's childhood. It was my years with my husband and school aged children. It was the support of friends and family. It was the lesson of hard work. It was a memory of longing for children and this moment being an answer to prayer.

I was there. Fully. I felt every second of it.

So this week I only have this.

Nothing deep.

Simple.

These days are your memories. Your stories. Your testimonies. Your deliverance. Your victories. Your failures. Your lessons.

Your Life.

These days are your life.

Regardless of your situation, you can change your perspective and see the artistry of your days.

These days.

Enjoy them because one day you will miss them.


Blessings!




copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com  All rights reserved.

Parenting You

WHY didn't anyone tell me how intense this thing is?  What in the world was I thinking? These kids are a whole mess of trouble.  From birth they are always needing things like food, clothes and beds!

I spend most of my days trying to stick to a routine that only exists in my head. Really. For the life of me I don't remember when two days looked the same. Cooking, cleaning, teaching, correcting, holding, kissing, explaining, questioning, demanding, and disciplining. Then I go to bed feeling guilty because we were completely off routine, ate processed foods and didn't have an hour devotional.

Maybe I'm the only parent that is experiencing the madness of having kids. I know your children are in total anticipation of your every word.  They long to be taught the lessons of life. They sit inquisitively while you explain to them the importance of homework, spell checking and not waiting to the last minute to complete a project. They listen because you are the one and only person from whom they want to glean.  They value the sacrifices you make for them. They are appreciative and want to give back in honor of your hard work.

Well...That ain't my testimony! And I am guessing, I'm not the only one!

We repeat ourselves. ALL DAY!

Wash your face.
Brush your teeth.
Make your bed.
Pick up your shoes.
Don't hit your brother.
Say I'm sorry.
Inside voices.
Don't whine.
Do your homework.
Wait till your father gets home.
Read.

I love you.

Read.
Eat your vegetables.
Don't eat that.
What's that smell?
Be nice.
Pick up your towels.
Who spilled this on my floor?
Is that how you like to be treated?
Good job!
Be friendly.
Bathe.

I love you.

Yes.
Clean your room.
No.
Wait.
Ask your father
Don't waste your time.
Study
Read.
Ask questions.
Go to BED!

I love you.

They hear us! But they have their own minds and they know better.

They know our voice. We teach them lessons of life. Lessons that will protect them. Lessons that will prepare them. We pray for them. We try to give them the best of everything. We want to equip them to handle the world that's waiting to destroy them. We want them to be successful. We want them to know what true love is. We give them Christ. We teach them to listen for His voice. We want them to know and embrace Him.

We want them to live beyond the limits of their human imaginations and the expectations that are given by limited people.

We tell them constantly that we love them because we do. We really do. Beyond what they can even imagine!

They hear us but...They know better!

They do things that make us ask "Are you new? Do you know me? When have you ever heard me say that was OK? You're going to do it again until you do it right."

On occasion they lose their minds! They don't care how many times they hear the same thing. They do what they want. AND THEN look to us to fix their messes!

Because they know everything! They've lived for a few years and they've mastered this thing called life. They don't think they need us until they do!

And when they do, we're there. We help them up and start repeating ourselves again because we never give up on them. We will do whatever it takes. We sacrifice for them. We love them. We want what's best for them.

Recently I lamented about our parenting woes. I went to the throne for us! We need help!  The Lord lovingly said in a gentle voice, 

"I'm just showing you...YOU. I repeat myself. Daily. I give you love and direction. I am the Creator of the universe. I AM the way. I AM the truth. I AM the light. I love you. Don't follow that voice. Read your Bible. Learn my ways. Know my voice. I love you. I sacrificed for you. I know the plans I have for you. They are good. Read your Bible. Follow Me. I love you.  Love your enemy. Love your neighbor. Don't waste time. Yes I'm with you. I love you. No I will never leave you. I gave my life for you. I want you close. I want you to prosper. You are more than a conqueror. You win. I love you. I'm for you. But at times you think you know better."

And...I had no words. Just  "thank you!"

I'm so thankful for his loving patience. Even in our parenting He gives us grace. Teaches us. Loves on us. Grows us. Walks with us. He has plans for us. He brings us closer to Him. He never gives up on us. I am madly in love with Him! 

Blessings!

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11

copyright 2014 www.shundriariddick.com

I Blame It On Them!

Why haven't I posted since September you ask? It's because of them!

Time Snatchers!

School started right after my last blog! Yes it's their fault. They have too many things happening all at once. How did I get myself into this?  I said "yes." That's what I did.  I said yes. Yes to everything!

My Kids' schedule:

Flag Football 3 days a week (Yes, I'm Team Mom!)
Cheer Practice 2 days a week
Tumbling once a week
Mariachi Rehearsal 2 days a week
Performances, Games and/or Competitions EVERY Saturday
PTA Mom
Fundraising for School and Mariachi

And yes I did all of this while working full time and training for my fourth marathon!

Go ahead and say it. It's okay!  I know I'm CRAZY!

Yes I am. My husband is actively involved but he has the astonishing ability to do it all in stride. HOW? That's another post!

I took my hair out of the bun it's been in for three months and realized that I'm a LION!

Disregard uni brow and beard! :)

I won't even begin to have the hair discussion. That's another post! But dealing with that hair takes TIME!

And I don't have it! *eye roll and neck work*

I lost my makeup a few weeks ago and I haven't had time to find it. Facial cleanser, moisturizer and lip gloss are making it do what it do!

Yes I'm THAT Mom! I drive a minivan. My wardrobe is made of school t-shirts, jeans and running shoes. Cooking consists of whatever I can throw in a crock pot and cornbread! Laundry...ummm...yep it's clean. Get it out of that basket! (don't judge me!)

So that smile you see me displaying is part enjoyment of life and part insanity.

Approach with caution!


Blessings!



I'm back. I'm ready. I have so much to share!