Five Minute Friday: Beautiful

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

Five minutes on beautiful...

GO 

Yesterday, Frances was going through some clothes in her drawer after I had gotten out some new summer stuff and she realized that she didn't have room for everything in her drawers any more.  She asked for my help and I told her she'd have to wait because I was still sorting some other clothes.  She got upset because what she was doing was "too hard!"  I, somewhat flippantly, told her that anything worth doing is difficult at times.

I went on to tell her that sometimes being married is hard, having kids is hard, going to work every day is hard. She rolled her eyes a bit. And then I got her started and went back to my sorting.

But it's true.  Parenting is hard work.  But is also rewarding.  There are times when I feel like I just can't referree one more fight or clean one more mess, but there are also times that I've cried because my life is so much more beautiful with them around.  Like when Frances gives Henry an unprompted hug or explains something to him that he doesn't understand.  Like when Henry boosted Benjamin up three levels inside the slide at the Children's Museum yesterday.  Or when Benjamin passes out unprompted snuggles or shoots an "I love you" hand signal across the room at me.

Those things are beautiful. And they make the hard stuff so much easier to get through. And more worth it too.

Have a blessed, beautiful weekend, friends.