Enjoy Every Luscious Moment

George Banks, the Father of the Bride emerged on the big screen in December of 1991, 26 years ago. I remember driving home from the movie in tears as I returned to my one-year old son at home. I fell in love with the movie, but I knew I had much in common with George Banks and one day my heart might break as my child married.

I never imagined I’d eventually have five children and have to face this day five times. I made it through that first child who is now 27. I survived his wedding and I’m so glad I did because now the cutest little two-year old girl with strawberry blonde curls calls me Grandma and my grandson will join us in February.

My second son got married yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding to a lovely young lady that I am thrilled to welcome to our family. However, just as I feared, my heart broke just a pinch.

This past week was an assortment of emotions and feelings. It began with honoring a man who was dear to our family as we laid him to rest. Although sad, funerals cause me to think deeply and search my own life for meaningful living.  What will be said of me when I die? How about you? What will they say? It was so impactful to hear people share about a man of 84 who lived a full life at the start of the week and end it with speeches and toasts honoring a young man of 23 as he begins his married life.

Most of us are somewhere between those two points in life and we’re not quite done yet. We all still have time to make adjustments where needed, redirect our thoughts and purposes if we want and to take steps and make goals to do and become that which we desire.

My friend has finished his race. Only he and Jesus know how well he ran his race. There is much we do that is never noticed. There is impact that we make that most people don’t see. We ourselves do not realize how many lives we touch and we’d benefit from hearing what they say about us at our funeral.

Funerals are a time to say good-by and a time to grieve but they can also be a time to do a little life assessment. Are we living the life we were meant to live? Are we happy with our lives? Today is always a good day to make changes if you need to.

Once we had honored our friend, we drove eight hours hauling my son’s belongings to his new home. He’d been in college for the past four years so he still had plenty of belongings at our home. During Christmas, he had cleaned out his room and packed up all his belongings. I was reliving Father of the Bride, the part where she packs up her room and even her old retainer.

Josh pulled an arsenal of weapons out of his closet. A pile of wooden guns, nerf swords, an AK-47 air gun and a flint lock musket were the remnants of an active childhood playing in our woods. He packed up everything except for a retainer. This mom’s heart was aching.

The wedding day arrived along with a fresh blanket of snow. It was a magical setting for Josh and Melissa and the wedding was beautiful and touching.

I teared up when I saw the bride for the first time and she blessed me with a bracelet with a charm gleaming with the words, “Mama Debbie.” I teared up when my son cried as his groomsmen all prayed over him. I teared up when he cried as his bride appeared but I down-right bawled when the mother-son dance music began.

Little Mister Roo

Reaching for the moon

So many things you’ve got to do

And no time for dreaming

 

Little Mister Roo

Let the stars shine over you

 Don’t grow up too fast too soon

Save some time for dreaming

Settle in, settle down

Let me see that sleepy yawn on your face

Close your eyes

I will love you completely

And always

 

Little Mister Roo

The moon shines silver over you

No one knows you like I do

And little Mister Roo

Reaching for the moon

Don’t grow up too fast

Too soon

 

Sung by Carly Simon in The Heffalump Movie

 

I blubbered like a baby in a full-on, ugly-cry. My heart lay in pieces on the dance floor. My little Roo was grown. His manly heart now belonged to a woman who made his eyes twinkle and caused him to catch his breath with every look at her. His toys were packed away awaiting the next generation. He no longer would run through our woods pretending but instead ran between his wedding guests who formed a tunnel, eager to start his new life.

As they squeezed into a car filled with balloons I felt like George Banks eager to say good-by, hoping I’d get one last hug. I did get that last hug and my Little Mister Roo was gone. Do I even need to tell you that I was blubbering again?

Two children married, three to go. I’m not sure I’ll survive.

The stages and phases of life mingle and flow together like swirling rapids heading to their unknown destination. Life and death, joy and sorrow, mix and bump into each other creating life.

Now, I have a week to sort through all these emotions as I visit with my Dad and Mom. I’m going to take the time to follow their life’s moto EELM – Enjoy Every Luscious Moment. I think I will EELM because each moment is worth enjoying. You blink and life whizzes by.

Today I leave you with the purpose of EELM which was created by my Dad and Mom. “Live each day one day at a time with each other and live that day to its fullest.”

This is my prayer for each of you; Enjoy EVERY Luscious Moment!