Is there a short cut..to perspective or love?

This week I am enjoying spring in Kansas City.  And we have actually had showers and flowers and a little wind.  Nothing too dramatic but the temperatures are warm and the city is familiar and it's good to visit a place I used to call home.  It's been three years since I lived here and as I look around, a few things have changed but not so much I get lost in the shuffle.

What has changed more than the city is my perspective.  I remember when I first moved to Kansas City.  It was 1997 and more was changing for me than just my address.  I was newly married (not for the first time but definitely for the last time) and I was a first time "other mother" to three kids new to me (now we had five).  We decided for good measure to have one of our own and she was on the way.  It was an exciting time filled with opportunities that had potential to be blessings or go downhill from there.  These things were dependent in large part on me and my perspective.  When we first moved here, I remember being a bit overwhelmed by the traffic when compared to Topeka, Kansas and it took me awhile to get used to the fast paced flow.  I also did not know my way around for quite some time and this was well before the convenience of GPS on the phones.  I wandered around aimlessly many times, trying to find my way back home (or to the store, mall, work, etc.) until I had mastered a few direct routes.  Whenever I mentioned the possibility of a short cut to my kids, they groaned.  (I was famous for short cuts that didn't pan out).

That could also describe my journey as a new parent to another persons' child.  Loving them was always the easy part.  Actively raising them with another is the challenge.  Blending a family coming from two different perspectives takes time, commitment and what I mentioned above.  Everyone had to get used to a different pace; we all wandered aimlessly at times....maybe even with attitude.  And we didn't figure out the shortcuts for years.

But WE DID!   I live in Austin now and when I prepared to drive in the Kansas City traffic these past few mornings I really had to question what I was EVER concerned about.  Now the traffic in Austin is a REAL challenge. 

And 17 years later, our blended family now includes daughter-in-laws and potential son-in-laws and grandsons (and a granddaughter on the way).   We are a large, messy, loud, loving family and if we were all swimming, we would most likely be swimming in different directions.  But I guarantee you we would all be in the same pool.  We would have to be - what if one of us needed a life jacket, or just someone to dog paddle with for a little while?  We are in this together now.  Sure, we may splash water on each other from time to time, and someone gets dunked on occasion, but only by one of us.  WE ARE FAMILY.  And I love all of them.

Sing it,
Until next time,

your pal, Kari