It's a neat thing to travel as a wife and mom. Mostly because I've always been able to watch my mom care for us all. She does so many things well. She has a way of bringing pieces of home to wherever we go. It's often small comforts and they can so easily go overlooked. She just has this stress free, effortless way of making things go as smoothly as possible and it's great.
I love trying to be like her. It's a fun challenge. It feels good. :) A week away like this one, reveals so many the subtle ways that marriage is so beautiful. Watching her with my dad and experiencing it as Bill and I. It's so good to care for each other. It's a real image of God's goodness.
Tonight we walked into a cool little authentic Mexican restaurant called D' Casa. My dad had just gotten a phone call, Bill was getting the baby settled, Jana was chatting with Caroline. Next to our table was a guy alone. Sitting, waiting for his family. He was in a wheelchair with a severely broken leg. I watched my mom so naturally and gracefully ask him about his leg. He's having another surgery tomorrow. He's just a guy who liked to deer hunt. She showed interest and care for him. She laughed with him as he told stories about it all. She encouraged him when he asked "They wanted me to amputate. Did I make the right decision not to? I often wonder that." He was introduced to the whole family, we all laughed and joked and he rested his hand on my moms shoulder and said, "It was so good to talk to you, Lisa. Thank you."
That kind of story isn't rare for her. In fact she had another similar, funny interaction earlier this morning. It's so simple- but it's not. She knows how to listen and what to say. She asks questions that show that she actually cares and wants to hear a response. Whether it's a stranger, coworker (she's got some good stories from the hospital!) or a friend, she'll come away from any given conversation having said nothing about herself (she's very interesting) but having learned about a person. She actually cares and she remembers.
It's just cool. I love her. And I want to say more, but I won't. I'm just happy when I sometimes do things like her. I hope I do more. It's wonderful to live life so closely linked with someone so intentionally thoughtful.
It was a good day in Mississippi. The boys worked hard at the studio. We have a sick feverish Caroline, but she's getting better. Jack took his first swim. He was a fan. Grant enjoyed himself immensely. In his very Grant way. :)
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