I opened my eyes two days ago to the first snowfall of the year! What a beautiful sight, indeed, was that first morning glimpse out the window…a Christmas card image come to life. I fixed my coffee and curled up next to kitty on my pink couch to soak in the view… beautiful images of birds flitting, branches lightly dusted with snow, and geese flying in the distance over the creek. Incredibly, with all that unspoiled beauty before my eyes, my mind’s eye kept returning to spoiled soup!
Spoiled Soup?! Yes, spoiled soup! I have a bit of an addiction to a particular pumpkin soup recipe a friend from church shared with us…not sweet, but spicy with the addition of red pepper flakes. I have made this soup more times than I can count, much to my husband’s dismay, but this particular batch I made for the first time with an actual roasted pumpkin, not from a Libby’s can. Yes, I was quite proud and enjoyed one delicious bowl before putting it away to enjoy even more the next day. Everyone knows that soup is so much better the next day, when the flavors have really had a chance to meld together.
And so, when a certain son got it out for a late-night snack before I headed off to bed, I left him with one simple plea…”please, please, don’t forget to put it back so it doesn’t spoil.” Off to bed I went, and as often happens when I go to bed too early, I lay awake thinking, and all I could think of on this particular night was that pumpkin soup. Did he put it away, should I go check…
Finally I dozed off, forgetting the pumpkin soup… surely he had put it away.
No doubt, you all know by now that the first thing I saw when my sleepy eyes reached the kitchen early the next morning, was that left-out pot of pumpkin soup. Oh, coffee, I thought, just take me away!
Slowly sipping my coffee, doing my usual morning stare, my mind left the pumpkin soup, venturing several weeks ahead to when we would be driving this soup-spoiling son to a college 3-days drive away. Suddenly, soup really was not that important. Flashes of him as a child now took over my mind, along with the realization that I would take spoiled soup every day for the rest of my life for just one more moment of both my sons’ childhood years back.
One more sunny day building drip-castles at the beach, one more trip to the zoo, feeding and chasing the geese, one more bicycle ride around a nature trail, one more time their chubby little hands held tightly onto mine, one more invasion into the house with a muddy frog in tow, one more Christmas morning of them running down the steps in their little footie pajamas….
Until next time dear friends,
may you have joy in family moments, and peace when letting go.
∼ Jen
Birds, Blooms and all things Beautiful 
Oh I so much enjoyed reading your whole writing up! I can relate with you so much here.Me too keep thinking that my daughter will be away from me in two three years for her college and I have very less time to spend with her. All flashback of her childhood memories keep floating. Time flies so fast!!!
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I’m so glad it touched a chord in you Deeksha…we mom’s are all very much alike! Yes, if only there were some way to slow down their growing up years….the only time in my life I would repeat is raising my sons. 🙂 I wish your daughter all the best!!
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Thank you so much Jen😊😊
Have a great weekend!
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Thanks, you as well- great week now! 😉
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A wonderful instance of ‘putting things in perspective” — thanks for the reminder, Jen!
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Yeah, perspectives can sure change quickly! Thanks Eliza. 🙂
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Oh dear Jen, early signs of empty nest syndrome. Yes it is a difficult time, letting them fly the nest to venture into the world alone, but as you well said they go with God’s blessing , and the love and preparation you both have nurtured them with. Love the photos of the boys, of course it brings to memory my own kiddies who are now middle aged and with teenage grandies but I have photos of them at various stages on my study wall in from of me. My daughter is always my little princess even though she stands as tall as me, and my eldsist son is now my adviser on many different technological aspects. As for pumpkin soup, I love it also, but so sad it spoiled. Maybe God through your intuition was prompting you to check that night. I know when that happens to me I have to get up and check, as I have learned that I get little peace until I do, especially as we get older and can get forgetful at times. On the property I use to grow Trombone Gramma which was a sweet pumpkin I loved, which my dad’s family use to have as a desert treat in a pie. During winter I buy a lightly spicy pumpkin soup which I quite enjoy. Lastly, how gorgeous to see first snow, that is so the best time. I love first snow pictures on plants etc, and that little bird looking back, so cute and so much a postcard photo. Snow something we have to drive up into the mountains some distance away to see. Richest blessing for Christmas and the New Year to you all, and may your son settle well into college. 🙂
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Yes, next time I will check for sure! I got a can of pumpkin out today to remedy the lack of soup, I am seriously addicted! Our snow was the earliest I remember this time of year and was gone in a few hours without a trace. Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family as well, enjoy those grandies, as I’m sure you do! And how nice your grown kids are still so close to you, even helpful in advising, wonderful! Blessings and thanks for the well wishes for our son. 🙂 He is very excited and I am very happy for this new adventure in his life!
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It took me long enough-but I am so glad I followed your blog. I do not like to follow blogs and not even have the proper time to devote to them. Your post brought tears to my eyes-the heart of a mother is a tender place. love Michele
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Aw, what sweet words Michelle, they mean so much to me, thank you! I know what you mean, I feel I don’t devote the time I want to reading the words of others I have grown to care about over the net. And I think all of us moms have so much in common, the love for children is a strong bond. Your blog always seems to stir such happy memories in me, as I think we were raised very much the same. Merry Christmas to you and your lovely growing family dear friend!
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