The View From My Window

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I love looking out the window over my kitchen sink. My mom had a window over her kitchen sink in the house we grew up in that looked right into our backyard.

Mine does too.

I find myself there quite a bit looking over my little ones playing, or fighting, or surviving out there. Today I was remembering my mom shouting from that window. I know, I can hardly believe she yelled either. I seem to have blocked out all unhappy childhood memories and can only remember my mother as a saintly lady who raised six kids.

However, I can remember our backyard...

"Stop slapping each other"

"Laura, don't hit your sister with the tether ball... or put it around her neck"

"Don't come in this house like that"

"Julia, Krista does not want to play circus with you again."

"Give everyone a turn threw the sprinkler and where is Alisa's swimsuit?"

"The doors are locked and your not coming in unless it is an EMERGENCY (A.K.A bleeding)"

Hmmmm.... sounds quite similar to my shouting through the window.

Today as I was watching and thinking... I watched the boys share, Abigail come in and out of the sandbox and then wander off to something else. The hose get turned on, the hammock get turned over (with a few kiddos on it), the yard being FULL. Even though this full house seems too crowded at times, today I was thankful for the noise and the playing and the punishing.

That noise and these kiddos are forcing me to be less selfish and more patient. They are helping me to chose joy even on the days that I don't feel like it. Now when I look at the window I can be reminded of this journey to holiness.