“Things to Do when You are Feeling Blue”

Subtitled: In which I continue to thank the people who are helping me drag this beautiful, bouncing ball & chain toward the finish line.

John was away all day yesterday at a Scout Leaders training seminar. On his way home and because he felt bad about leaving me on my own all day, he called to see if he could pick up burgers for supper.

Of course he could.

Toward the end of my Big & Tasty, I winced at the onset of several sharp contractions. These weren’t your average Braxton Hicks variety—they were more like, “What the heck these really hurt I’m not due for another month yet!”

I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. and John did my holy hour (from 4 to 5 a.m.) this morning.

My husband, how I love him.

He has been the best of friends and the biggest of comforts throughout the 8th month of this pregnancy. Now that I am lumbering my way toward the last…long…month—anxiously, achingly, exhaustingly, distractedly—he has stepped up to and onto the plate with greater fervor.

As if that’s possible.

And I’m sorry to have to gush about my husband but I do—I just do. If you have a spouse who’s taking care of you right now, thank him or her with a kiss and a home-baked cookie. Thank them with full attention.

Thank them with a closed bedroom door and a DVD for the children. (Ahem.)

Thank them…because they’ve earned it.

To the friend who left just the sort of encouraging comment that this very overwhelmed mom needed to read on my “Big Fat Bleg” post, thank you.

I want to share with you that when our little one was born in November, I made up my mind beforehand to SAVOR this special time, before and after her birth. Savor those last days with the older kids, knowing that our world was going to change so quickly and completely again soon. Also, savoring the first month with the new little one – those days are so precious and so fleeting. It was so wonderful for me, Margaret! I was not going to let school stress me out for a minute (though that is hard with a rigorous curriculum provider that we share) and I called off school for the month following birth.

Cherishing and savoring the kids, old and new, and making a point not to worry about the school. It can wait and it will be OK!!! Our kids welcomed the break and when I told them we’d have to start back on a certain date, they were happy to do so.

I have taken these words to heart—I really have. My boys leave today for a half-week with Grandpa & Grandma, and in order to fill their absence from my heart—as if that’s possible—the little girls and I will be spending our days on picture books, poetry and art.

And lots of it.

To the friend who mailed me music, thank you. A teensy tiny bit of Jason Castro, a wee bit more of David Cook, and the spring selections from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? Yes. It was and is perfect, and will be on deck ‘til this delivery.

This same friend recommended this CD. When I went to check it out at Amazon, my kids gathered around quicker than a Minnesota summer to listen. “Could you load that one onto my MP3 player?” Joe asked. “How about that one? And that one?”

I went ahead and ordered the CD.

And finally, to the friend who sent me these words of comfort, thank you.

This is it. You are on the longest month of pregnancy, the last one. It is hard. It is so, so hard and it seems to last forever and it gets harder when you thought it couldn’t get any harder. At least that’s how it is for me. I feel so emotionally vulnerable, so physically handicapped, so tired, so anxious. It feels like forever, but it is really, really short.

Forgive yourself of everything. Do your best to keep happy, whatever it takes to keep you happy. Do the schoolwork, but don’t fret about it. Distract yourself as much as possible. Meet up with friends whenever you can. And eat ice cream and watch movies.

And pray.

I have posted this passage on the cupboard door.

Right outside the ice cream bowls.

The title of this post is from a poem that cheered me greatly up this morning. Stella’s list of “Things to Do When You Are Feeling Blue” included advice that I’ll take (a scoop of your favorite ice cream) and advice I can’t take (Skating away on my roller blades? Not just yet, but thank you.)

Best of all, though, her poem ended with these lines of hope:

If none of these work
just remember
today you were here.
today you made it.
You are strong.

It is not so bad to be feeling down when you know you’re not alone. Thank you, Stella. God’s blessings.

All for the greater glory of God,