Not the picture perfect goodbye!

Yesterday I took Landon to UVA in Charlottesville for a wrestling camp that he has been looking forward to for months. It is just about a three hour trip from Virginia Beach. Check in was between 2 and 3, so planning ahead, I figured that we could go to church and leave pretty much after that.....around 11:15ish. I believe that I am way too optimistic at times about traffic around Hampton Roads. We ended up sitting in miles and miles of back-up on Interstate 64 and it took us almost 2 hours just to reach Williamsburg. So, ultimately we were late in arrival for camp.

My son, Landon is the typical teenager and was extremely irritated at me for the volume of traffic. I did a great job of staying calm and assuring him that things probably wouldn't be right on time and that he would be fine if we were a little bit delayed.

I was so thankful for my friend, Lizzie whose son was also attending the camp. She called me and let me know that the directions to check in were a bit confusing and she took the time to walk me through them. She also took my phone call as I was driving around searching for the dorms and calmed me down as I was frazzled beyond belief at 3:30 p.m.

As we arrived, we grabbed all of Landon's gear from the trunk and ran up a hill to check in. Sweat was dripping down the sides of my face as well as just about everywhere else in the 100 degree heat. As we approached I could see all of the wrestlers outside waiting for the camp to begin....not many parents were still there and my heart sunk knowing that we were really late and that my assurances about things not being on time were incorrect. Approaching the check in a woman stopped me and asked if we were the LoAlbo's. She directed us inside to turn in our forms and for Landon to get his dorm key. We headed towards the doors, but it was difficult because all of the wrestlers were coming outside for orientation. Landon had a confused and frustrated look on his face and was looking to me for answers. I walked in and turned in the forms and grabbed Landon's key. Landon had already headed up to his room and I met him there. We inserted the key and to add to our frustration, the key did not work. I just wanted to cry!!

Luckily two college aged counselors approached and asked if they could help. They tried the key as well and didn't have any success. (This definitely made me feel better and I kept some credibility with Landon too!!) They graciously offered to put Landon's belongings into their room until later that evening. We walked to the end of the dorm and put his things down. Landon grabbed his work out gear and quickly followed the counselors to orientation which had begun 10 minutes prior.

I was now realizing that I was leaving my son for three days and I wasn't going to get the kind of goodbye that I wanted. Well there it was again...me thinking that it was always about me and God saying, "Hello Tracy....it is not all about you....I am in charge!" I tentatively yelled to Landon, "Bye, bud....Have a wonderful time....I love you!!" I understood that I was NOT going to get a hug or a kiss and that was the price I was paying for running so late. To my absolute surprise and delight, the counselors turned to Landon and said, "You go and give your mom a hug and kiss goodbye!!!" Landon hesitated and looked to the counselors first to see if they were joking or serious. As he did this, Landon knew that they were serious and he ran towards me and embraced me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

How thankful I was for this!! It may seem like nothing, but it meant the world to me and I am so grateful that God placed these wonderful counselors in just the right place at the right time for me to receive a goodbye that I will treasure for the three days and nights Landon is not with us. This also is especially important because Landon forgot his cell phone and normally I would be bugging him with "I love you " and "I miss you" messages and since I am not able to do that now, that goodbye was extremely special to me.

Why do I doubt God?? I get so wrapped up in myself and the limits of time that I totally forget that God is always in control. Yesterday was a perfect example of this. God provided even when I was hot, irritated, and most ungrateful. My prayer is that I can remember this and know that even when things are not going my way, that God will always provide and come through in His perfect timing!!

Things to be thankful for this week:

#81-100:

college aged counselors

Ocean Breeze water park

Atlantic ocean

dolphins

beach time

caring pediatricians

Kerri

Sweet nieces and nephew in Charlottesville

summer bible study

authenticity

Dean's sermons

faces of joy

successful eye surgery

Piercing pagoda

friends that share their pools
Aunt Susan

Taylor Mary

driving school

pink seedless watermelon

fresh basil

Where does the time go??

Time....what a loaded concept. We are very pre-occupied with time. We have to make sure that we arrive on time for work, for a flight, for a doctor's appt, for a party. Sometimes we try to beat time....especially if you are a runner or an athlete. How long did it take to run that 1/2 marathon? The shorter the amount of time, the better. Timed tests.....you must complete the test in a certain amount of time or take the risk of lowering your overall score because you did not complete all of the questions in the allotted time.

Time related to our lives though is time in its most precious form. As I have grown older, one of the most asked questions that I hear is, "Where does the time go?" One minute our children are entering Kindergarten and the next they are beginning the adventure of high school. I had the privilege of attending my brother's high school graduation this past weekend. I honestly don't know where the time of his first 18 years went. Granted, I was not living with him in the same household as he matured and grew up, but I did see him most holidays and at various other times during the years. One of my most vivid memories of him was when Dan and I took him home during my stepmother's surprise 40th birthday. He did not want to leave and was beside himself that he had to be seperated from his mother. Dan and I did everything that we could think of to console him, but sleep was the only solution. Now, he is leaving in a little over a week to go to New York for an internship and then off to the University of Arizona as a freshman in late August. He is a mature young man and looking forward to beginning his life and seperating from his parents.

We all wish that time would slow down in relation to our lives. But, I am convinced that if we cherish the moments then the years that pass by will be clear and full of heartfelt memories. I know that this is easier said than done, but I am devoted to taking each day and praising the God who created me for the people and moments that He places in my life. We may wish that the moments could last forever, but if they did then we would definitely miss other moments that continue to define who we are and our relationships with others.
I need to pray that I can take my own advice regarding time. I don't want to wish time away and I truly desire to treasure each and every moment with my family and dear friends. This is especially pertinant to me as my oldest begins high school in the fall and next year Dan and I celebrate 20 years of marriage. Where did the time go??? I know that it passed by, but I also know that the time holds dear and precious memories for me for the rest of my life.

I am thankful for:
#61-80

privilege to vote
caring medical staff
printable boarding passes

first row of seats in an airplane

low humidity in Pittsburgh

graduation ceremonies

reconnecting

antibiotics

flights without turbulance

wonderful husband

Shorebreak pizza deals

incorrect weather forecasts

cool shower after a run

kind words

summer vacation

puffy white clouds

blue sky

hugs

grilled vegetables

feather pillows

A Special Reunion

I had the absolute joy to meet with two of my former second grade students today and share lunch with them. They certainly are not 8 years old anymore. They are beautiful 21 year old women with the maturity and poise of responsible young adults. They both are in college, playing sports and enjoying what is truly one of the best times of their lives. What a special reunion it was!! We shared and laughed about the class that I had 13 years ago and talked about what everyone is doing. I was in awe of how the years have passed by so quickly. Flashbacks in my mind reminded me of them both as precious eight year olds with pigtails and missing teeth.I am so thankful for this opportunity and the privilege to re-connect with two very special women. Relationships are precious and God certainly blessed me with that fact today!!

Other blessings this past week include:
#41-60
Sunday sermons that tug on my heart
field day
cold water
tug of war/boys against girls
sweat
girls night out
The smell of Dalton while he is sleeping
naps
colleagues
unexpected letter of thanks
Ocean Breeze
caring doctor
our community group
my dentist
pride of a 4th grade author
Miss Sue
air conditioning
former students that are young adults
Sophie's nudging
family