Nuggets from the Fire

I sit in the silence.  All are sleeping but me.  I love the quiet mornings of summer.  After sleeping 3 ½ hours later than I normally do it is still only 8:30am.  The sun is up and the air is fresh and crisp.  Because of the recent rains, the vegetation is deep green.  The birds are calling to one another.  Soon the busyness of life will begin for the day.  Not that I mind, if I have learned nothing else over the years it is to enjoy every season.  These teenage years are the season of quiet mornings.  I remember the toddler season of quiet nights and the baby season of quiet naps.  Each season has its own joys and pains.

 I have graduated another child and that is both joy and pain combined. The second child is not as hard as the first.  It is no longer an unknown as it was last year.  I realize I do not have to say goodbye forever and that he will be back.  My heart knows that he will change, but that is the right thing for this season.  I have shed fewer tears, but tears just the same.  Again, I am trying to let go and embrace this next stage of life as I have the others before it.  I also realize my nest is not empty yet.  When the last one goes, my guess is there will be more tears because my mothering days…so much a part of who I am will be gone.  At least now, I know that I will always be mom, even when they are gone.  Maybe not as hands on as I am now but mom just the same.  I also know that God will have more for me. 

I think that God is so great to prepare our hearts for changes.  He allows us to draw close to him when we see that life will be difficult, then in that quiet place shows us what is next.  I am certain that for me, writing will be a part of that time.  He is preparing me even now to not shrink back from putting ideas on paper.  He has something there and it will take quiet time to find it.  Right now, quiet time is limited in my life, but one day there will be more.  I gladly accept both the quiet mornings and the quiet days yet to come.

Eighteen years ago, I gave birth to our first son. We did not find out before hand the gender of our baby, preferring instead to be surprised. We had a beautiful girl already so we hoped to have a boy, but would have been happy with either.  In my heart I was relieved when it was a boy because I knew that however many children it took, we would keep going until we got a boy to carry on the Gunnin name.  The labor was not so bad starting and stopping over a period of 24 hours.  The delivery, on the other hand was horrific…my hardest.  Aaron was 10lb. 5oz. and after my petite little 7lb. 5oz. Hannah, I felt as if I was delivering an adult.  The circumference of his head paved the way for his brothers.  It was traumatic to say the least.  However, he was beautiful and soon the pain of birth was a memory.  He has grown up to be a fine young man.  He is always challenging and questioning everything and has been that way from birth.  He is logical to the end and literal in thought.  As a small child that was what endeared him to many.  If Hannah had a forehead, then he must have a three head since he was only three.  He was always thinking even then and came up with some hilarious comments to prove it. His laugh always came easy, even after just a couple of days at home.  (I guess when you deliver an adult that it is to be expected.)  Compassion for others is something he possesses that is a gift.  Music is another.  Soon he will go off to college for more thinking, and probably some music too. I am teary eyed to think of it yet, it is time.  He is ready to enter the next phase of life as a young adult. I am ready to release him…kind of. I am trying may be a better way to put it.  Today we are proud of him and all he has become. Happy Birthday Aaron.  

I know you all think I have disappeared.  Unless you realize what time of year it is…end of school year.  I have simply been too busy to get anything of significance written. 

However, I wanted to update you on the fam.  Hannah is in Israel and loving it.  She is working very hard and finding that digging is very strenuous, but that it helps you sleep really well. She is not too thrilled with the food…mostly veggies she doesn’t like.  She found some pottery yesterday so she was excited about that.  They still have a day or two before they get deep enough to find more.  It is a lot of moving rocks, pulling weeds and briars.  Good experience.  She also did some conservation last week.  So she is getting to see different aspects of archeology and anthropology.  It is hot there over 100 degrees and no air in the hotel so that is not fun.  Over the weekend she traveled around the Sea of Galilee and saw some amazing sites…Peter’s house, Jordan river, mount of the beatitudes, the quiet place of Jesus, and a first century city that is almost intact.  So far she is really enjoying the trip and learning a ton. She will be looking for babysitting jobs when she gets back, to earn some money so keep her in mind.

Peter is doing better, though his stomach still hurts on and off.  It seems to not be a severe and he is feeling normal most of the time now.  It may have been a seasonal thing…not sure just glad it is better.

Aaron is graduating on Friday.  We are having a drop in party on Saturday for those who want to come by.  He is ready to be finished. College orientation in June so he is looking forward to getting to go to Belmont for that.  He will be 18 next Tuesday…am I that old already? 

William made the snare line again for next year in band.  He is excited to finally have a year at the high school with no siblings.  He is more than ready for school to be out for the summer. 

Bill is tuning pianos again if you know anyone that has that need let us know.  I am counting hours now until school is out.  Whew…I will sleep for a week after it is over then get into a summer routine…that WILL include writing regularly.  I have to get back to it or I will suffocate!  Love to you all.

            Hannah invited mom and me to a Mother’s Day tea at Berry.  We came up the night before to spend the night. Our adventure began after we deposited our luggage at a local hotel. As the three of us crossed the parking lot, we discovered a black sky to our left and a sunny one to the right.  Rain was just beginning to sprinkle on our faces when we got to the car.  Across the dark sky, about half way up there was a shelf of rolling white clouds.  Over the edge of the shelf tumbled a cascade of white periodically at random increments.  This caused a beautiful contrast between the pitch-black darkness and the white cloud “waterfall.”  Lightening highlighted the scene with regular intervals of dazzling light. Glowing jagged veins were freeze frames in the midst of the oncoming storm.  We noticed all of this, as we drove away in our car, into the calmer brighter skies to our right.  We were attempting to get Hannah back to her dorm before the storm hit.

  However, shortly after turning onto the highway, the skies began to battle between them.  The dark clouds were racing to overtake the light.  The line between the combatants was just above our heads.  The beautiful white cloud “waterfall” of before turned into a clawing hand, grasping at the light as if to destroy it.  The white fingers were grasping all around just over our heads.  The battle zone became an odd shade of green. It was an eerie, surreal sensation.  We drove faster, now realizing the danger that surrounded us. 

Out the car window, we watched the clash.  Rain so hard we had to slow to a crawl when we really wanted to fly, enveloped us.  We had front row sets to witness the fury of the storm.  The white fingers came together in a fist, and then began to rotate slowly in a circular motion.  The trees on a nearby hill were sideways within the force of the wind. Frantically trying to confirm what we were witnessing, we dialed our cell phones.  Family members in front of computer screens at home did not see anything but strong thunderstorm warnings, no tornado watches, or warnings.  Yet in front of our eyes and over our heads we were watching the white on black swirling fight.  A few moments later, as we were crossing Kingston Rd., a text confirmed radar had picked up a tornado just south of Rome Ga heading toward Kingston.  At home, still on the phone, family members said, a warning just came across the screen for Rome. The danger we knew was enveloping us was confirmed.

 We watched as the storm continued to move rapidly to our right.  Driving to seek cover, the rain was tumultuous which prevented us from gaining any speed.  Soon we were out of the worst of it, but did not know if more was following.  Nervous laughter cut the tension in the car as we talked of our adventure.  In the distance, we saw the school, whose rock buildings stood as an island of safety each time the sky flashed.  Once we arrived, we found hundreds of students crouched in the hallway on the lowest floor.  Curious looks found us as we burst through the door.  Before we could share our tale, or sit to duck and cover we had to find the bathroom…so we wouldn’t wet our pants.  This three-generation adventure will live on in our family history…the tornado-dodging women and the night they witnessed the battle of dark and light.