We are LITERAL'S!

lit·er·al /ˈlɪtərəl/ Show Spelled

–adjective

1.

in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical: the literal meaning of a word.

2.

following the words of the original very closely and exactly: a literal translation of Goethe.

3.

true to fact; not exaggerated; actual or factual: a literal description of conditions.

4.

being actually such, without exaggeration or inaccuracy: the literal extermination of a city.

5.

(of persons) tending to construe words in the strict sense or in an unimaginative way; matter-of-fact; prosaic.

 

There are days when I sit back and look at my son and see a clear description of why I am on this earth.  It is like having my very own personal trainer to the gates of Heaven.  I always say that I am a work in progress.  My teacher (Channer) is very successful in teaching me how to look at life differently and appreciate the small things.  He teaches me as if I were blind (literally) to use my five senses and sometimes that sixth sense that hides quietly behind my initial thoughts.  

 

For example, he is determined to break me of a bad habit of using the word "crap".  Yes, this is a vice of mine and when I take a second look, as Channer often forces me, this is not a nice word.  As I am piling Channer's belongings into my hands to walk inside the school building....he throws his gator-aide bottle on top of my already heavy pile as he walks with little to nothing in his hands.  I fuss "I can't hold all of your CRAP Channer, you could help mom out a little!".  He turns to me with his very serious face and says "That gator-aide is not crap mom, it's hydration".  In the last couple of months he makes me think twice as I say that word because he clearly see's that the literal meaning of that nasty adjective could be put to better use.  He would prefer I say feces or hydration in the two instances where he has called me out on the way I chose my words.  Just as God has intended us to literally look at his Word and believe the "literal" meaning. 

 

My son is a walking light of God.  I am very blessed and some would say lucky to have a walking encyclopedia by my side at all times.  Literally speaking.  Sometimes I get clouded and try to find reasons, explanations, and get analytical to make myself feel better while going through trying times. All the while, the answers are right here in my face.  I am to stop trying so hard to make these "little things"  (literally speaking) that God has given me to endure and focus on the bigger picture.  

 

“It is impossible to get exhausted in work for God. We get exhausted because we try to do God’s work in our own way.”

 Oswald Chamber

 

 

I Hurt My Toe....

Mornings are hectic in Leckieville.  Do you ever have those moments when you say something out loud in the "hussle and bussle" of things and then realize you just had a "light bulb" moment?  

I have Channer in the shower and moving like a slug.  Jenna can't figure out what to wear because looking her best is what makes her day.  While I am standing over a hot steamy shower, helping Channer wash his hair, I hear Jenna crying.  She is my emotional child (my mom always said that I would get payback one day for all the tears I shed as a child) so I just ignored her whimpering (assuming it was over a pair of jeans or a skirt).  After all, Channer needed his hair washed and we were going to be late to school, once again. 

I go into Jenna's room to assist her and by this time she had layed down on the bed and given up on getting dressed for school.  I asked "What is wrong dear"?  She replied "I hurt my toe on the ladder"!  She was dramatically boo-hooing all over the place.  I stood her up, put both arms around her, hugged her tightly and said "Jenna, it will be ok.  Let's get dressed and keep going".  She looked up and told me how much it hurt and it wasn't possible to get dressed at this point and that her day had been ruined.  All before 7AM.  As precious minutes were flying by, I found myself getting frustrated and firmly said "Jenna, just because you hurt your toe doesn't mean that life stops! We have to keep going!".............WOW! What advice did I just throw at my daughter? We have to keep going?  It's not ok to fall down on the bed and say that I give up? Is that not the pot calling the kettle black???

Yesterday, I escaped from reality for about 2 minutes in the make-up isle of Walgreens because I am ready to throw in the towel.  I am falling apart because Channer wasn't feeling well and I didn't know why.  I had dropped him off at school but got a call from the CF clinic at MUSC that I needed to bring him in right away.  He was hypoglycemic.  I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what.  I reach out to my friends immediately on Facebook.  This is what I call therapy on the fast track.  I obviously can't find time in my days to see a counselor and fear that he/she may truly deem my a lunatic so the next best thing are my friends at my fingertips.  My 2 minutes were up and it was time to purchase the tissue and make-up so that I could throw myself together in the car and no one would have to know that I, me, Carolyn Leckie, just lost my marbles in front of several strangers in my very small town.  

In my world of what we call Leckieville, there is no real time to grieve, no real time to be sad.  I tell my friends that I wish I could just schedule my meltdowns so they fit in my day.  Instead, when I have 2 minutes in Walgreens, I seize the opportunity.   Point being, "Just because you hurt your toe doesn't mean that life stops! We have to keep going!"