It Was A Lovely Affair

In a nutshell, to get this out of the way, since I last wrote, the boy got married, daughter #1 got married and daughter #2 moved out and has lived everywhere in the world, including the Middle East, except here. Oh, and hubby and I got married again (yup, he's married me four times), this time at the foot hills of the Italian Alps in a private ceremony where I cried the entire time. I think I scared the Officiant because I was ugly crying. He had a look of concern on his face that I naturally wanted to comfort, but every time I tried to speak wailing came out of my mouth. It was a lovely affair.

If you read any of my writings before you know I like to keep it real, you know I like to find humor in everything, you know I love Jesus, my kids, volunteering, my pets, food, and analogies. If you didn't know it, you know it now. I can't write everything all at once, though I want to, but I can't so I'll tell one story at a time.  This is my first story.  It happened exactly 7 years and 2 days ago...

...I once read a blog about a woman who longed for her kids to be close again.  She said, "If I knew that the last time I washed my daughter's hair was going to be the last time I washed my daughter's hair, I would not have rushed through it." By the time I read that it was years since my girls let me french-braid their hair. I was like, "I hear ya, sista." I would have to literally bite my tongue not to ask my girls if I could braid their hair.  When biting my tongue failed I would spill the words out of my mouth in one fast beat, "CanIbraidyourhairpleasepleasepleaseplease?" "Nope." Always, nope. But then, 7 years and 2 days ago, the unimaginable happened, daughter #1 said, "Mom, will you braid my hair?" It took me a nano second to grab a brush and start.  I remember the date exactly because it was the day she got married. Best day ever, not just the braiding her hair part (though definitely a highlight), the wedding was a lovely affair, I did ugly cry, she married her best friend and lover, my brother and his wife surprised us with their attendance (he flew in from out of state without telling me), it was in the woods at a place that holds special memories for me because we did homeschooling camps there. It was a messy braid, I had one shot to do it, I hadn't done a french-braid in years, but it was just what she wanted.  A braid across the front, hair left long across her shoulders, done, but not fussed over, "Mom, it's fine", she said with a smile. I put her pearls around her neck, let her hair fall where it may, stroked it one last time; watched her get married, move away and go on to accomplish her dream of helping children with trauma. She's still happily married to the love of her life, and every time I see her I say, "CanIbraidyourhairpleasepleasepleaseplease?" Still nope, but because of the pandemic I was able to cut her long hair about 5 months ago (I can give you the exact date but that really does make me sound creepy and pathetic) I brushed it a little longer than necessary, inhaled deeply, was told to stop being weird, and even though I bit my tongue I asked, "CanIbraidyourhairpleasepleasepleaseplease?" No, she had to get going...

...my summary is that I have no real regrets. I lived in the moment, I enjoyed mothering, I enjoyed empty nesting, I enjoyed traveling in spite of my travel anxieties, I lingered on the things that I loved, I mentally documented all the joys, it's been a lovely affair...

...to be continued...(sorry for all the ... but that's how my brain is working today ... )