Here is the first...

For Lent this year I am engaging in writing each day. I know Lent has not begun yet, but I thought I could get my blog started and try it out for a while. I haven't quite landed on what I will abstain from during Lent. I still have a little time to figure that out. I've always enjoyed writing/journaling, but haven't done it for a very long time. A friend of mine says that writing daily is a spiritual practice. So, with that in mind I am drawn to the practice of writing about my day, thinking about what happened, and hearing what God may have to say through all of it.
Tonight it took my daughter, Anna, a long time to fall asleep. She took a good nap this afternoon, so it didn't surprise me that at 10:00 she was calling rather pitifully for me from her room and saying she wasn't sleepy anymore. I went in to check on her and we sat down in the rocker to sing some songs. I love feeling her little body on my lap, her head on my shoulder. I sang through some Disney songs (I love that she is into Disney movies right now) and ended with an old hymn, "The Old, Old Path". That hymn is a favorite from growing up and I think of my grandparents when I sing it. Anna calls her great-grandparents Mor-Mor and Papa...which is what I called my great-grandparents. Anna and Kasper Anholt were my grandma's parents. They lived in Canada and had Norwegian heritage. They were beautiful, strong, wonderful people. Mor-Mor had such a sweet smile and infectious laugh. Papa was so intelligent and could tell great stories. I always wanted to go up and spend a summer to learn Norwegian with them, but never did. My Anna is named after my great-grandma. I like to think that Mor-Mor is one of her guardian angels. Singing "The Old, Old Path" tonight brought my grandparents and great-grandparents to my mind. Anna asked, "Who sings this song?" and I told her, "Mor-Mor and Papa." which it true for two generations. I wish Anna had gone to sleep earlier, but sitting in the rocking chair tonight with her and singing her to sleep wasn't a bad way to end the day. Not bad at all. I try to hold on to those moments while she will still let me hold her and my lap is still big enough.