Hormones make you SWELL!

Hormones make you SWELL in body and in soul

Feeling sensitive and moved by the annual 4th of July festivities…..I recall as quickly as yesterday the familiar smell of bar-b-q, the noise of fireworks, and the fascinating ariel display as they light up the night sky.

Mosquitoes, watermelon, extreme hormones and yes, swollen ankles….

Very swollen ankles 17 years ago to be exact and why you may ponder?

It was the night that my labor would begin, yet again.

I was 9 months plus a week of being pregnant–pretty much ready to POP, during the hottest month in South Florida.  I felt like Orca the killer whale as I would cool off during the day, in the neighborhood pool trying to cope with the humidity and heat of the summer.  Extremely pregnant as I would describe it;  awaiting the excitement and arrival of my youngest son.

And yes, he was and still is a firecracker…..from the moment of his birth on the night of July 5 th to present day…he is a firecracker….beautiful, all over the place, sometimes loud, always shocking, an illuminating personality and mostly a remarkable igniting young man.  One not easy to forget, but one very easy to love.

I never imagined that after the 4th of July festivities I would be in the hospital laboring for 24 hours and finally be handed my sweet “bundle of joy & fire”..a.k.a.. Christopher on July 5 th.

Motherhood is always an experience, one that GROWS us every single day; as neither of my awesome sons came with “directions”–everything else we have in life comes with instructions,   from cars to i-pods except our children.  Each one so unique, a real Divine Masterpiece.  When I have a moment, face-to-face with God one day, I will suggest that moving forward, I humbly request for future generations that perhaps the little ones come with a waterproof instruction card taped to their foot?  That would be helpful Lord and I don’t wish to mess with the miracle of life, just requesting a little more specifics.  I am thankful for His Word, the Bible as a great basic set of directions, but I am a detail person, so as a suggestion it would be nice to just have a little more info, you know with the particulars, please Lord?  Maybe with some advice and wisdom, especially for the TEENAGE moments?  That would be great!

Today as we prepared for our annual bar-b-q dinner, and Chris’ pyromania show of fireworks, I was reminiscent of his birth.  He has a passion for movies and one day dreams of being a movie director and I told him tonight that whenever he makes his autobiographical movie of his life–it must begin with FIREWORKS, lighting the evening sky and driving in a car…of course headed to the hospital and then the music to any mother’s ears the first cry of birth. 

Open scene one.  You take it from there Chris and please choose someone pretty and thin to play my part……

Over the 17 years many things have occurred and changed, from diapers to driving, relationships, accomplishments, hair color and of course car accidents as well.  ALL of life’s little challenges that remind us of our human ness.   BIG events that teach us how sovereign the Lord is and thankful for lessons and provision for second chances.

 I told Chris today during one of our “Mother-Son tiffs” that every night before I go to bed, I say a special prayer, one that God will bless him and keep His faithful watch over him and a special “mothers” request, that one day he would have triplets!

I figure it is the least I can pray for to show my boy, how much I LOVE and adore him and that my hope was that he would be triple blessed by his own children one day.  Then he would understand all my “No’s”…”whys”….and list of directions and chores plus all my worries, and my concerns about how he dressed, when he would be home, and who his friends are.  He laughed and said; “So Mom what does this prayer sound like?”

I gushed, “It is simple:  now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my sons to keep and bless my youngest 3 times please with triplets to drive him totally CRAZYYYYY.”

“Very Funny Mom.”–he retorted as he thumped upstairs for his shower #2 of the day.

And speaking of hormones…….

Defined as a substance, usually a peptide or steroid, produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity…..(that’s a mouthful to ponder)

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek hormn, present participle of hormn, to urge on, from horm, impulse;

IMPULSE that sums it up in a nutshell!

Teenagers are great example of how these little IMPULSES work….one minute they are happy and the next fit to be tied….minute to  minute unexpected and unpredictable.  Just part of their charm and they always have something impulsive going on..non stop, from text paging, showers, loud music, multiple genres, from rap to oldies, to phone calls to email 24 hours a day. 

In raising sons I feel it is important they understand hormones….especially those of the much sought after FEMALE population.  I call it “son sensitivity training,” and my hope is to make them better men and husbands one day.  Now is the time to let them see what it is all about, from PMS to PMS…..(Pre Menstrual Symptoms to Peri Menopausal Symptoms) as they themselves go through a huge change of life full of emotional upsets and victories. 

Just like us!  My ankles still swell but for different reasons now.

Funny how that works…..

Teenagers and Moms in PMS & peri menopause—poor Dad…poor neighborhoods…..poor friends.  God really has a sense of humor, doesn’t He?

We as parents all take the time to explain the “facts-of-life,” but do we take the time to explain the “change-of-life”?

If you think about it……… NOW is the perfect time to explain the change of life to your teenagers as education is powerful and useful as we navigate through the course of this wild ride.  NOW they too can comprehend the joys of peri-menopause….hot flashes, mood swings, etc…as they have them too.

Just like being educated in Lamaze classes our kids need to be educated in the change of life so they learn empathy.  How else will they recognize that their beloved MOM has not gone completely NUTS and become a Jekyll and Hyde right before their eyes?

So as I celebrate the 4th along with the rest of the nation, I also celebrate the birth of my youngest and recall how hormones start and end life stages.  Funny how that works?  Both Chris and my hormones rage, sometimes at the same time and boy is that a FIREWORK display!

Thankful and  touched that we understand and appreciate one another for who we are, that God created us each in His Image and together by His grace and love we can get through anything.  We are equipped to chat about anything from zits to financial responsibility. 

As you look at the fireworks in the sky remember your TEENS, celebrate their individuality and what a blessing they truly are.

Take the time to share the “change-of-life” experience with them, get them ready and prepared, it will be worth the time spent.

In closing HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY CHRIS   As Psalm 128 sites “and may you live to see your children’s children.” 

But as for me, dear son, YOUR PRECIOUS triplets one day!!

I am praying for you and I love you, xoxoxoxooxoxoxooxox……Mom