From the moment I walk in the door at the end of the day, to the moment my head finally hits the pillow every night, I am constantly rushing to get everything ready for the next day...Just to rush out the door the next morning and start it all over again.
Thanks to a new position at work, my regular hours have shifted and I am now out at 430 instead of 500. While that may not seem like a big change, it does allow me to get home about 45 minutes earlier than I had been and with a life as hectic as hours that makes all the difference! And it allows me to enjoy moments like this...
After cleaning up from dinner tonight, I plopped myself down in the oversized chair in the living room and heaved a big "thank goodness I have a moment to catch my breath" sigh. I yelled to the 2 youngest girls to head to the bathroom to brush their teeth, and I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and tried to assess how much damage would be done if I just dosed off for a minute or 2. Realizing I hadn't heard the sound of little feet head towards the bathroom yet, I shouted for them once again. And that's when I heard it. Giggling. The kind of light hearted giggle that immediately energizes you and you cant help but perk up a little when you hear it. It makes you want to laugh along with it, even if you have no idea what is going on. This caught my interest so I opened my eyes and looked around to see where this wondrous sound was coming from. That's when I saw a hunched over, 2 legged, headless figure approach me and slam into me and the chair. It took me a second to realize what was going on. It turns out, this mysterious figure was none other than McKenzie with her legs in the arm holes of a hoodie, bent in half with her head stuck in the hood. The giggles that accompanied this were coming from Leah, Beatriz (our Spanish exchange student) and Alyvia as they all bent, tucked and contorted their way into hoodies of their own. They looked like what I imagine the chicken I have planned for dinner tomorrow would look like if it suddenly leapt out of the crockpot and proceeded to run around my house. I know, this is all extremely weird. But if you stop paying attention to how weird it is that I have multiple children in my house that like to put sweatshirts on upside down and run around the house like little scary Gollum-creatures, you will see the really cool part of this night. I had a 5 year old, 8 year old, 13 year old, and 16 year old all laughing so hard they were almost crying. They were playing together, enjoying each others company, being silly together. For a few minutes, the age difference didn't matter, there was no language barrier, no "cool" teens vs little kids....They were just 4 sisters hanging out, being weird and having fun with each other. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing...
Monday, September 21, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
The oldest
Within minutes of meeting me, you will know that I am the mother of 4 girls. Its the thing in my life that I am most proud of, and so I talk about that fact all the time. I'm sure it makes some people crazy, and I would say I am sorry, but it is a major part of who I am and I can't really be sorry for that.
My oldest daughter is 15 and is growing into this person that really needs me for very little. She is a singer, an actor, has recently discovered she's a fair runner, and is a seriously great debater. It wasn't that long ago that I would describe my oldest daughter as silly, outgoing, friendly, and playful. But somewhere along the way (It must have been when I blinked), that little girl with the great big smile and carefree attitude, grew into the bright, intelligent, slightly timid, opinionated and articulate young woman I see for a few minutes every day.
I miss the talks she and I used to share. I miss the friendship that is only shared between a mom and her girl. I miss laughing with her. I miss her choosing to spend time with me. I miss hearing long stories about how her day went, who she talked to, and what she planned on doing the next day. I miss the way she would walk up beside me and just grab my hand. I miss sitting down on the couch at the end of the day and having her walk over and wiggle her way in, so that she was somehow sitting right on top of me. I even miss the way she smelled after a day of playing outside, or right after pulling her out of the tub.
But, as much as I miss all of those things, I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I cannot wait to see the things she will do, the path she will walk. I saw a quote once, when she was little (and I am sure I am butchering this, but you will get the gist of it), "Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains". It was painted over a crib on a nursery wall. I remember thinking when I saw it that that would be such a good quote to have for my girl. I know I was right. She is strong, fiercely opinionated, and determined. I can't wait to see those mountains move.....
My oldest daughter is 15 and is growing into this person that really needs me for very little. She is a singer, an actor, has recently discovered she's a fair runner, and is a seriously great debater. It wasn't that long ago that I would describe my oldest daughter as silly, outgoing, friendly, and playful. But somewhere along the way (It must have been when I blinked), that little girl with the great big smile and carefree attitude, grew into the bright, intelligent, slightly timid, opinionated and articulate young woman I see for a few minutes every day.
I miss the talks she and I used to share. I miss the friendship that is only shared between a mom and her girl. I miss laughing with her. I miss her choosing to spend time with me. I miss hearing long stories about how her day went, who she talked to, and what she planned on doing the next day. I miss the way she would walk up beside me and just grab my hand. I miss sitting down on the couch at the end of the day and having her walk over and wiggle her way in, so that she was somehow sitting right on top of me. I even miss the way she smelled after a day of playing outside, or right after pulling her out of the tub.
But, as much as I miss all of those things, I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I cannot wait to see the things she will do, the path she will walk. I saw a quote once, when she was little (and I am sure I am butchering this, but you will get the gist of it), "Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains". It was painted over a crib on a nursery wall. I remember thinking when I saw it that that would be such a good quote to have for my girl. I know I was right. She is strong, fiercely opinionated, and determined. I can't wait to see those mountains move.....
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Work
For the past couple of weeks at work, I have been learning the ropes on a new phone line. Its a little more involved than the member line that I usually work on, with a lot more claims and coding related questions and I have to give props to all of those folks that field these phone calls regularly. It is hard work, requires a sharp eye and confidence. I have done alright so far on this line, and I am sure with a little more practice I could hold my own on it....Except I don't want to.
When I started with this company, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do or who I wanted to do it for. It didn't take very long for me to realize that I had landed in a great place. And even better, that I really LOVE what I get to do every day. I help retired military members, their families, and the families of active duty personnel navigate their health insurance benefits. It may not sound like very much, and maybe it isn't changing the world. But each day I have the opportunity to change it at least a little bit for the people I speak with on the phone. I have been on the phone with someone when they found out they have cancer. They were home alone, didn't know what to do and in a panic called their insurance company. It was me that answered that call. I stayed on the phone until this person felt strong enough to get off the phone and face the world. I spoke with a man who did more than 20 years in the army and told me the story of making friends with the folks in charge of cutting orders. Somehow, he managed to get his commanding officer sent to the arctic. Another man I spoke with was in the Coast Guard and somehow found himself stationed on a boat patrolling rivers in Vietnam. Periodically, I receive faxes from another member. He sends me things via fax now because he cant hear and he doesn't want me to have to yell on the phone. I get the fax, and I take care of whatever the issue it for him. I have talked to some of the most amazing military wives. They juggle families, deployments, PCSing, and so much more. I have gotten some really great tips on managing a busy household from them, as well as lessons on what it truly means to be busy. Every phone call is the different, every person is in the middle of their own unique journey. I am privileged to get to interact with these people and so many more like them every day. And, if I am very, very lucky, I actually get to play a small role in making their lives just a little bit better each day. Every day I feel such a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
I feel a connection to each member I speak with. I truly believe that their insurance is not something they should have to worry about. This is a benefit they EARNED, in ways most of us cannot even begin to understand. The countless deployments, moving wherever you are told whenever you are told, lonely nights spent separated from your loved ones (whether you are the deployed military member, or the spouse at home awaiting their return). They have honestly earned this benefit through blood, sweat and tears in a way that nobody outside that group can understand and I am driven to give them the treatment they deserve when they call. It is the best way I know to say thank you.
So, while I truly realize the importance of this new line I am working on, I cannot wait to get back to the member service line that I hold so close to my heart. After all, I get to talk to heroes every day.
When I started with this company, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do or who I wanted to do it for. It didn't take very long for me to realize that I had landed in a great place. And even better, that I really LOVE what I get to do every day. I help retired military members, their families, and the families of active duty personnel navigate their health insurance benefits. It may not sound like very much, and maybe it isn't changing the world. But each day I have the opportunity to change it at least a little bit for the people I speak with on the phone. I have been on the phone with someone when they found out they have cancer. They were home alone, didn't know what to do and in a panic called their insurance company. It was me that answered that call. I stayed on the phone until this person felt strong enough to get off the phone and face the world. I spoke with a man who did more than 20 years in the army and told me the story of making friends with the folks in charge of cutting orders. Somehow, he managed to get his commanding officer sent to the arctic. Another man I spoke with was in the Coast Guard and somehow found himself stationed on a boat patrolling rivers in Vietnam. Periodically, I receive faxes from another member. He sends me things via fax now because he cant hear and he doesn't want me to have to yell on the phone. I get the fax, and I take care of whatever the issue it for him. I have talked to some of the most amazing military wives. They juggle families, deployments, PCSing, and so much more. I have gotten some really great tips on managing a busy household from them, as well as lessons on what it truly means to be busy. Every phone call is the different, every person is in the middle of their own unique journey. I am privileged to get to interact with these people and so many more like them every day. And, if I am very, very lucky, I actually get to play a small role in making their lives just a little bit better each day. Every day I feel such a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
I feel a connection to each member I speak with. I truly believe that their insurance is not something they should have to worry about. This is a benefit they EARNED, in ways most of us cannot even begin to understand. The countless deployments, moving wherever you are told whenever you are told, lonely nights spent separated from your loved ones (whether you are the deployed military member, or the spouse at home awaiting their return). They have honestly earned this benefit through blood, sweat and tears in a way that nobody outside that group can understand and I am driven to give them the treatment they deserve when they call. It is the best way I know to say thank you.
So, while I truly realize the importance of this new line I am working on, I cannot wait to get back to the member service line that I hold so close to my heart. After all, I get to talk to heroes every day.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Exchange
Its been a long time since I have written a blog, I am not really sure why I stopped (besides just being ridiculously busy all the time), but I have always found it to be sort of therapeutic for me. I guess there is no time like the present to start again!
This past March our family hosted a Japanese exchange student. For my kids and husband, this was their first experience opening their home to someone from another country for any amount of time. Everyone was excited, even Justin in his own weirdly quiet way. I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect, having someone live with us for 8 days and share in our daily lives. Who knew what an impression a person can leave after only 8 days! We tried new foods, learned new words, laughed and played and stumbled through language barriers. We saw pictures of her home, we talked about her school and her family, and we cried when she left. For the kids, suddenly the world became a much more real place. There was someone we cared about living some place that until then might as well have come from a storybook. Now when we read news stories about Japan, they actually mean something. We know she is so far away, but that distance isn’t just a number or a picture on a map, it’s a feeling now.
For me, this was the reigniting of a fire I had let die out a long time ago. I used to have such a passion for the world! I traveled, spoke foreign languages and I knew that what happened across an ocean really did mean something even if we were separated by such great distances. I had forgotten on some level that the people living on the other side of the world are real people, not just things we talk about on the news or read about online. There are mothers and fathers and children and families with so much to share living just an ocean away and it is important to understand that what happens in one place, can send ripples across the globe. Being me, a person that never does something just a little bit, I signed up with the exchange program to help place students coming to the US and also signed us up to host over the summer as well as during the coming school year. I may not be able to bring my children all around the world, but I will certainly do my best to bring the world to them
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