Blogging the Details

A few months ago a friend asked me why I was blogging. She is a fellow blogger, has lost a little motivation for blogging, and was probably seeking an inspiring response. What she got was a stammering, "Um, well, um. I don't know. I guess to keep family members caught up with what is going on with us." I'm pretty sure that was not the motivating answer she was looking for.

I've reflected many times over the past months about that question. I think this month has really put this thought in my head as I have been looking for God in the details of my life. Certainly having that as my focus has made me more aware of all the many ways God is with me throughout the day. I have seen His hand in every aspect of my life. And the results have definitely been a more grateful attitude on my part. So one of the reasons I am blogging (at least for this month) is to publically acknowledge how I am seeing God in the details.

But I also realized that I am blogging for the simple reason that I want to remember the details. Now that my children are grown and mostly not living at home, I find myself reflecting back on their growing up time. During those times of reflection, I feel like I am missing details. How could I not remember? Was I so caught up in the day to day that I forgot to lock in the memories? Was I always looking forward and forgetting to stay in the present?

I don't want to look back in another 18 years and feel like I was again missing details. Remembering the details through blogging, that's my biggest motivation these days for blogging.

I want to remember conversations such as the one we had the other night when Carson was home for the weekend. It went like this:

Me to Carson as we are eating dinner before taking him back to school: "I really like it when you are home."

Carson: "I like it too. Sometimes I just can't stand being around those people any longer."

Dave immediately points to me, doesn't say a thing, but I know exactly what he is thinking. I sheepishly own that Carson's need for intermittent social isolation is a learned behavior that I am responsible for.


Or this conversation I had last night with my Grandpa Wight. He was calling to find out how long my parents are visiting the sites in Egypt.

-Grandpa: "So how are the kids?"
I tell him how Katelyn's mission is going and where Carson is attending school.
-Grandpa: "Sounds like they are doing well. So now it's just you and Dave chasing each other around the house."
-Me, giggling: "Well on occasion."
-Grandpa: "That's good. You two take care of each other."

And I don't want to forget Dave's blushing as I told him that Grandpa asked if we were chasing each other around the house and my reply.

Those are the kind of details that I want to remember through blogging because I am afraid I will forget them if I don't write them down.