How Big is the Heart?

While searching through some photos last night, I came across this cute one of Rachel. I believe she was almost four years old and we were living in our house on 100th street at the time. My mother was all into smocking (Lordy, that woman had golden needles) and she taught me how to smock. This little mice sundress was the only one I completed ever, so it must be worth a lot now! Who knows, someday I may take the time to do some of that again, but I'm not sure.

I thought of this photo, as well as the other "million" (and I'm not exaggerating) photos that I have taken of my three over the last almost 27 years. What has driven me to take these photos? It's simple. It's love. And a strong desire to look back and remember that.

I was reading Sharon Randall's article in this morning's paper. She was talking about how hard it is to stay connected while she and her husband are 500 miles from their family. But, she said that the heart has a capacity to love that is unlike anything else. She says it's sort of a "use it or lose it" thing, and I agree with her. We have choices every day to stay as connected as possible to family and friends that we care about. Sometimes we act on those choices and sometimes we procrastinate and say we are going write that email, make that phone call later "when I have more time." Later often does not come.

Some parents may not be fortunate enough to feel a bond with their children that I do. I believe it came through years of loving while going through my divorce from their father, as well as not always having the money to do everything that they wanted to do. We had to be creative on family vacations and find ways to afford ballet and piano lessons, camps and all that goes with children. But, somehow, through it all, we have a close bond of mutual respect and caring. I'm so grateful for that.

The heart has a huge capacity and we wake every day to use it or lose it. I'm turning 53 this week and I plan to start making more effort to use mine. You never know when that photo or memory that you make will be one as special as a warm summer morning when you daughter poses in front of the flowers.