365 day 75 Finding my Center

Tonight we came from our separate places to surround Johnny for his 21st birthday. He wanted to go bowling, mostly because he just wanted us all to be together. I wanted that too. We all did, and I am so grateful for that.

They call it cosmic bowling, when they turn the black lights on and turn up the dance music. I didn’t need a name for it to know where I was. As we danced and laughed and threw gutter balls (mostly just me), I began to find my center of gravity again. This is where I belong, with these people. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but when I am with them I find my place in the universe again. I am the nucleus of this family. We bounce around against one another like electrons in our little world. We bring out each other’s best and love hard through the worst. I am desperately in love with these people. They are home.

You can see who we are by the way we step up to our lane. Chris is seriously competitive, so intense about his game. Katie is relaxed and casual, winsomely guiding her ball down the center almost every time. Annie dances her way there, and gets the best score by bowling upside down and backwards, peeking through her legs as the ball rolls into a strike. Johnny is strong and graceful at the same time. He is there for quality time and tries not to take the game too seriously. His favorite thing to do is to make me laugh as I step up for my turn. My favorite thing is to laugh so that works out well. I throw gutter balls mostly and randomly hug all of them over and over again. The one time I get a strike I scream and dance around. I can be myself with them and let go of striving.

Children have the power to lift the countenance of their mother like no other. And children who love one another is even more powerful. Seeing my kids hug and love each other is a balm to my soul. It is what every mother wants.

Happiest of birthdays to my Johnny. Thank you for giving me this gift on your birthday. That is just like you.

 

John 13:34,35 ~”Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”