The Best Days of My Life

These truly are the best days of my life!  I sit at the breakfast table each morning, the smell of coffee mixing with that of fried eggs, bacon, and toast.  I look around the table that once belonged to Ryan's grandmother.  I see my gifts.  Sarah, Maya, and Natalie on the bench on one side, Benjamin and Boden on the other.  I don't know who decided they would sit like this-- boys on one side, girls on the other-- but everyone seems pleased with the arrangement.

 Boden and Natalie are oatmeal and honey sticky from their "first breakfast".  They are sitting contentedly waiting for "second breakfast" with the big kids now that their growling tummies have been appeased a little.  Benjamin is well into his eggs and jelly-smeared toast-- a red glob of jelly on his upper lip and chin.  He is oblivious to the mess on his face in his attempt at putting his breakfast away as quickly as possible.  Boden is asking for more of something, or a glass of milk, and Natalie is quietly and delicately scooping her jelly off her toast with her fingers and enjoying licking it slowly-- making it last.

Sarah may be quietly re-directing Natalie or eating her own smallish breakfast.  Maya, after making sure everyone else has gotten all they want, is up and getting her own breakfast.  She slowly makes her way to the table.  I notice she has cut her piece of toast into two equal-sized pieces and has spread one of the halves with strawberry jelly and one with honey.  She thinks to bring everyone a napkin as she makes her way to the table and sits down. 

Gage Alexander the first, is on my lap.  He leans way over to try to grab my plate which is pushed out of his reach (I hope!)  He kicks and squirms and squeals and continues to reach for my food.  I sigh.  I am thinking that on one hand it would be oh so nice to enjoy, savor, linger over a creamy cup of coffee and my bible study-- in silence.  To be able to plan a whole day and do just as I pleased, to finally accomplish some task to completion.  On the other hand I know that THESE are the days I'm going to miss when everyone is gone.  One day-- someday too soon-- my house will be clean and quiet and I will have too many quiet mornings of coffee-lingering and task-completing and I will wish I could be back here-- around the kitchen table with the chaos and mess and noise and bustle.   I'll miss sticky fingers and reaching babies and cheeks smeared with jam.  One of these days, each of my favorite people in the whole world will be off, living their own lives and I will think back and know without a doubt that these are the best days of my life.  It's the daily togetherness that I know I only have for a short time.  The togetherness that I will miss most of all.