My heart is full

What a fabulous weekend. Celebrating my friends birthday, starting my writing class, participating in a "mother blessing" and getting my house ready for my new roommate.

Writing class is great and I am excited to see what could be accomplished in 8 short weeks. Of course there is the quintessential person with very few social graces who has difficulty interpreting the mood of the room. I am trying to find it amusing. Maybe I will share some of the shorter pieces I complete in this format. There was a discussion about whether or not blogs were considered creative non-fiction and the teacher said blogging was more free and not as thoughtful as true creative non-fiction. I may introduce her to some of my more thoughtful friends who blog and blog well....Brandon and Beth.

Saturday afternoon a group of women got together for a "mother blessing" for our friend Vanessa. Vanessa has experienced tragedy unlike any of us could imagine. Last summer her baby died a few days before she was born. I have seen a lot of death and I have seen a lot of grieving and if grieving can be done well, no one has done it better than Vanessa and her husband Brian. In two short weeks their baby Jonah will arrive. On my birthday. Before the mother blessing we were given instructions to buy two beads. One for Vanessa and one for Jonah. The beads for Vanessa were made into a necklace for her and the beads for Jonah were made into a bracelet...which turned into three bracelets because there were so many beads. We were to pick beads that said something significant to Vanessa and Jonah. It was fascinating and heart warming to hear how each person thoughtfully chose their beads. Thematically strength and beauty shone through. I left the gathering full in my heart. Words of love and friendship and divinity swirled in my head. The moments were a picture of the intended way. This is how we are to speak to one another, about one another. It was a glimpse into glory.

I can't wait to meet Jonah and hold him in my arms. As one of the women at the Mother Blessing prayed, he is a picture of the hope that God can bring life in the midst of death. That He shines through the darkness. That the hope of glory overrides the despair of reality. Ultimately. It is what keeps us walking with our heads held high. It is what keeps us praying for seemingly miraculous things.