Sometimes it snows.
As we begin to wrap up this final month of 2018, I can’t help but think about what we were doing this time last year.
Almost to the date (December 8, 2017), to my awe and wonder, it snowed in south Louisiana.
Ray, at 6 months old, was still a giant chunk of sweet baby rolls. He couldn’t sit up on his own and we were working hard on this skill. I have a picture with him lying on his belly next to three of his daycare friends who are all sitting independently.
However, I wasn’t overly worried about his gross motor skills, because over all he was on track. It was the persistent anxiety of starting full time work that was looming over me.
Could I do the full-time-working-mom thing?
As the snow begin to descend, I grabbed my real camera for first time since Ray was born. And as the snow fell with grace and mystery, Ray and I had our own photo shoot. I froze my booty off, but the magic of the snow was worth it.
My amazing neighbors invited us over for coffee and frittata, which I gladly accepted. I visited our other neighbors and met the snow man they had built. But mostly, what I did that day, was watch the snow. I was its captive audience, studying how each of the flakes danced gently to the ground.
There’s something about snow. Its natures confetti, as if to say, “hooray, let’s celebrate the day!”
Even the science behind snowflakes is a total wonder. But this snow day was extra special. Because in south Louisiana, we don’t just get snow. This was our first snow day in ten years.
As I watched the snow, I didn’t know what the upcoming year would hold. I was far enough into mom-life to know how to navigate sleepless nights and hold-your-nose-diaper changes. But adding full time work?
Well, here we are, about to embark on 2019.
I’m amazed to report I’m still here! With a lot of grace from my patients, my boss, my husband, my co-workers and even grace from myself to myself, I survived a full year of being a full-time-working mom.
I didn’t rock it. I forgot picture day, forgot to pack lunch on a camp day when it wasn’t provided, and even brought him to school when school was out.
Twice.
But I made it.
Thankfully, Ray didn’t seem to notice my many working-mom short comings. In fact, he even wrote me a thank you letter on thanksgiving. He has since not only mastered sitting independently, but spouted legs and is running. Now if only he could start helping carry in groceries, cleaning the house, and doing laundry we’d really be in business.
So, as I prepare to start another year with new goals, ambitions and challenges, my first instinct is to feel overwhelmed. I think of all the jelly-finger prints I will have to scrub, the unbelievable challenge of getting myself and a toddler out of our house every day, and the intense tension of filling big roles both professional and personally. But then I am reminded that sometimes it snows.
In the midst of chaos, God winks at us.
He blesses us and cares for us. And should he choose to can disperse beautiful miracles.
The truth is I don’t know what 2019 holds. But I’m challenging myself to keep dreaming and praying big, and you should too, because, y’all, sometimes it snows.