Now these little chaps have been travelling with Jane and now me for a few years now. Not just around the UK either as they normally live in my motorhome, which is where I found them earlier today. Once a year I completely empty the thing before sending it off for an annual service and MOT, and it then makes sense to give it a really good clean as well. But it’s a bit of a marathon emptying absolutely everything and so after lots of bending, stretching and carrying I’m feeling just a little achy. I’m always amazed at how much ‘junk’ we need just to live and my motorhome basically duplicates most everything in my home. So I still need an hour tomorrow before I can even think of starting to clean.
Most of the day though I’ve been child-minding again and seem to have survived quite well. Today we visited their other great-grandparent – Jane’s mum – and transported her to the old folks group she enjoys. I don’t know if it’s a generation thing or whether I’m missing a trick, but again my grand-daughters managed to walk away with cash to spend. So back to the shops, and I’d forgotten to replenish my wild bird food anyway, so that was ok. And the kids are certainly happy being given free reign at the sweet shelves… ‘Grandaaad, we haven’t quite got enough money’ is the sweet (literally) refrain guaranteed to unlock my wallet. Who cares that the first calculation demanded a doubling of the initial gift and I had to avoid being taken for granted with somewhat careful negotiation! Home-made chips always satisfy and they went home happy.
For some reason I’m not just feeling tired and achy, I’m also beginning to feel rather stressed. I don’t think it’s my grand-kids either. Whilst I was away I increasingly felt very relaxed. But just being back home, with it’s continual reminders of Jane, and the ever present pressure of so much work that needs doing has brought back a tension I could do without. Over and over again I’m reminded of the value of a shared workload and Jane certainly pulled her weight. I never realised how much she actual did until I had to start doing it myself. Life would be so much easier if I didn’t have M.E. and some days even the basics seem beyond me, let alone spring cleaning or decorating. After Easter I’ll go chase the sun again in my nice clean motorhome.
Hebrews 4:9 ‘So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.’ (NLT)
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