Family moments

Something really sweet and beautiful happened right before my eyes the other day.

Now that Mark and I have moved back to his hometown we get together with his family once a week for dinner.  There are seven of us, including me.  Mark’s sister bought her first home last winter and last Saturday she had everyone over for lunch as a "work party" to help her get her lawn together by pulling weeds and such.  I wasn’t able to go as early as everyone else bc I had to cover an arts festival for the newspaper, being the freelance reporter that I am, but I got there right before the hot dogs went on the grill so it was perfect timing.  I was able to put some gardening gloves on and bag some unwanted yard junk, but that was the extent to me helping in the yard.  Lucky me, I guess.  I actually kinda felt bad I couldn’t help much, but there were plenty other helping hands and work is work!

Everyone was so tired and dirty, and definitely ready for a break not long after I arrived and the hot dogs were perfectly grilled.  When we all gathered inside before eating, Mark’s mom led us in prayer.  And that’s when she said it… she thanked God for a family that can spend time together, work together and play together as a family.  Oh I just thought it was the sweetest thing in the world because she was right!  Everyone in the family was there helping and doing their part to help her yard!  It was adorable.  When I got there 5+ trashbags were full of weeds, people were hammering wood for a flower bed, people were clipping this and pulling that.  It was incredible to see everyone so hard at work at a house that isn’t even theirs. 

It wasn’t until the next day while I was sitting in church that I realized what a great thing I just witnessed.  At that moment, in Mark’s sister’s kitchen I wasn’t jealous or envious, not for one second.  I was so proud of myself.  I was simply in the moment, praying and thanking God for our food and enjoying lunch.  Somehow it just hit me in the middle of church, like wow that was so great of me.  Usually when I see Mark and his family or even his friends share a sweet moment like that I automatically make it about ME and think, "Oh I WISH I had THAT!"  But not this time.  And the funny part is that it was so natural to me.  I didn’t have to tell myself not to be jealous.  I didn’t have to think, "No this is happy, this is not sad, this is not about YOU!"  I just knew. 

I was genuinly happy for their family that can eat, pray, work and love together.  I will always wish I had the same, but that’s no reason for me be envious of what they have.  I’m just happy that they allow me to be apart of it.  So sweet.