Storms.

Last Sunday morning the girls asked to got for a bike ride. The weather was slowly changing. The wind and clouds kind of picking up, so I told them not to go far because I thought it might storm. Sure enough about 10 minutes later the rain started to come, the wind picked up, and pretty soon it was pouring. Of course all I could think about was my babies. How far did they go? I opened the garage door and stood their watching for them. Waiting and worrying. The rain picked up even harder and my Momma heart just spiked with worry thinking how sacred and anxious they must be to get home. I called Ryan to come and get in his truck to go find them. I figured they had headed to the park so I was sending him in that direction. As soon as he was walking to his truck they came riding up the driveway. Oh the relief on my face and theirs. Hayley burst into tears. I'm sure more out of relief that she was home safe and soon to be warm. It made me think about parent hood. We teach and warn our kids about certain dangers in life, but then we have to let them go. Let them go and learn some of these lessons all on their own. Its funny looking back at parenting babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. I thought it was so hard. And it was, just in a different way. I would always think, "if only they could do this for themselves. I can't wait till they can do this, or they're this age, or I can have time for myself." And now they can do all those things and I do have time for myself, but I'm never truly by myself because they are always with me. Apart of me. Forever I'm sure. Worrying, wondering, hoping. Gosh. Raising kids is hard sometimes. No matter what storms my kids encounter, one thing I know for sure is that they will always know that home is a safe and warm place to come back to. It is always here for them, and that when they do come back, they will feel relief, love and acceptance. Always.