The Rocking Chair

Yesterday I had one of those days when gratefulness is hard to come by. Not so much because there weren't many things to be thankful for but finding the time to even reflect on them was a challenge. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work from home right now. I know, everyone thinks working from home would be the best of both worlds, but I promise you it has unique obstacles. Anyone who has known me for very long knows I have almost always loved my work, particularly in real estate. There weren't many days when I couldn't wait to get up and start another day. I rarely took those positive experiences for granted. I now realize that like everything else, much of my professional happiness came from something inside me, not just my job circumstances. My current work at home is as a database administrator for a company in Leesburg, VA that "rents" marketing lists to mostly conservative political organizations. It is completely opposite any work I have ever done before. I have always been an ideas person, managing operations and people and creating strategy. This job is purely administrative, it is technical and tedious and so not me. But it allows me to contribute financially to my family and still be here with Danica during the day and when Delaney gets home from school. Every time I get Danica up from her nap and see her sweet smile or see her do something for the first time I say a prayer of thanks I am here and doing the work I have been given for this day.

Last night, after a stressful day full of rush orders and technical issues, I took my sweet baby upstairs to tuck her in. We read a few of her favorite board books, Good Night Moon and Guess How Much I Love You, the same books I used to read to Laney when she was small. We sang our usual songs and said a prayer. Then I held her close and rocked her. While I exhaled I thought of how quickly this will end, and I drank it in. Then I went in to tuck Delaney into bed. Our routine is not much different than Danica's except she's too big for the rocking chair now and so we snuggle under a quilt in her bed. We listened to a lullaby CD I bought her when she was a baby recorded with her name sung in each song. The following song played, and I cried because it was exactly how I was feeling. Oh how thankful I am for the gift of time with these precious girls in the rocking chair!

The house is hushed and still
My other blessings are asleep.
You've waited all this time.
Now to my arms you creep.
We walk all through the house,
See the remnants of the day.
I push them all aside for we are on our way
To the rocking chair that's waiting in your room.
Our peaceful rocking chair where sleep
Will find you soon.

We cuddle with a book. I talk about our day.
We sing a little song. And then a prayer we say.
We thank the Lord above for the
Blessings that He brings.
We thank Him for this love and a list of many things.
Not least the rocking chair, our favorite place to be.
I should be feeling tired, but this is joy to me.

Looking at your face, I see it must be true,
The rocking chair brings sleep and quietness to you.
For Mama it brings more.
Danica (Delaney), someday you will know,
A place to thank the Lord for the blessings He bestows.
Our faithful rocking chair, it's purpose now has served
For Danica (Delaney), you're sleep.
My prayers have all been heard.

by Elizabeth Bettich