i have a great family. they understand me (usually) and love me unconditionally. it's rare to find that with in-laws. stereotypically, they are awful. the beast of a mother-in-law, the cranky sister-in-law, the bratty kids, and let's not forget the crazy, gruff, and unlovable father-in-law.
lest i make them gasp any louder, let me say that these descriptions do not apply to my in-laws. don't get me wrong...we have had our moments...but God has blessed me by allowing me to be a part of this family and i am thankful for their love and friendship.
recently, God blessed me specifically through them. it's rare that i leave an interaction with our nieces and nephew feeling anything other than happy and loved, but friday evening was a rare glimpse into their hearts, into the people they will turn out to be and into the hearts of those who have raised them to be that way.
it started with a birthday party. there was taco salad and a tiny slice of spider man cake for me (delicious!). as usual, uncle jj performed magic tricks (which lily and luke loved and which caused skeptical little scarlet to turn up her nose), presents were opened, and after spider man had climbed onto his new fire truck, everyone began heading for home. since i had nothing better to do, i decided to hang out for a while and propped my hugely swollen feet up on the couch.
instantly, my brother-in-law, mark, and sister-in-law, tara, made faces of pain mixed with sadness. and then i realized they were looking at my feet. i jokingly suggested that perhaps one of them wanted to rub my feet (you have to understand...i do not have feet that smell like roses...). the first one to jump at that wonderful opportunity was tara. she sat right down, put my feet in her lap, and began in kindness what turned out to be an hour and a half foot massage. yes...an hour and a half. for free. it was amazing. mark made lots of sympathetic comments along the way, encouraging tara to continue massaging the swelling out of my feet. she finally stopped only when she said she could feel my bones again. i will never be able to repay such selflessness.
during all of this fantastic foot-rubbing, the kids took over the massaging of my heart. we have a big ultrasound tomorrow and this week has been tough for us emotionally. i was glad to be at their house, but wasn't feeling especially cheery or happy. all three kids started their care for me by showering my huge belly with loving pats, little kisses, and lots of conversation with brooks. they told him how much they loved him, they asked about his growth and where he was in my belly, they asked about what he's doing in there. we laughed as i struggled to come up with answers to questions i ask regularly. luke, the youngest, alternately played with his new toys and hugged my belly while lily, the middle child, made a nest at my side, talked sweetly to brooks, and patted my hand during my foot massage.
scarlet, the oldest, not to be outdone by her mother, shared with me that head massage was her specialty. i, of course, requested a demonstration, and while she brushed my hair and scratched my head she started asking me questions. she started with, "what did you do as a child?" i had to ask for clarification, which she gave, saying that she was trying to "get to know her ancestors". this cracked me up and after i explained that i was not an ancestor (ancestors are dead...this was my reasoning...), we started chatting about my childhood. she wanted to know what i did in school, what games i played with my sister, what i did to get in trouble, how my parents acted, and what books i liked to read. this went on for about 30 minutes, and afterward she looked me in the eyes and said so sincerely, "thank you aunt jenn. i am so glad i was able to get to know you better." as i was leaving she said, "i sure will miss you."
i got in my car feeling much less swollen and lighter in spirit. these people made me feel loved, cared for, and beyond special. i will always remember that night, and i will tell brooks about how aunt tida, uncle mark, and his three crazy cousins spent time loving him before he was even born. God has blessed me through all of my husband's sweet family, but this was a special time of healing for me, one that i am thankful i took the time to enjoy.
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