What Matters Most In This World

Have you ever had a week when you had something big to do, only to have more big things added?

That was/is this week for me.

Many weeks ago, I found out that the boys were coming to stay at the house for part of their spring break.

Then the snow hit. And Harnett Off-Broadway (my biggest school performance of the year) got rescheduled to this week.

And the only time my main speakers for my ordination service could come was this Sunday.

And a couple of deadlines at school came due this week.

And Holy Week begins Sunday.

And yet. The boys were at the house for part of their spring break.

I looked at Jack and Henry on Tuesday night and said, “Oh guys. I have so much to do. But the most important thing I can be doing right now is spending time with you.” And so we went to ate and played games together. We had late night snacks and laughed together. I admittedly fell asleep in my room while the boys still giggled in theirs. The sound of their laughter is so beautiful to me. I know all too well that they are only young once and that these years will pass too quickly.

I had planned to go to work early this morning. I had some kazoo sorting to do for today’s HOB dress rehearsal and I needed to finish the program for Sunday night’s ordination, yet shortly after I got up, I heard the door to the boys’ room open and saw Jack poke his head around the corner.

I spoke to him to let him know it was okay to come into the bathroom, and as soon as he walked into the bathroom I knew that he was sick. He was clutching his stomach and had tears in his eyes and all he could say was, “I really don’t feel good.” I guided him to the toilet when I realized that he was going to throw up. I rubbed his back while he vomited. I wet a wash cloth and wiped his face and placed it on his forehead. I tucked him in to my bed because I didn’t want him to go back into the room with his sleeping brothers. I got him something to drink, put the trashcan by my bed, left a roll of tissue on the night-stand (he’s had a cold this week), and made sure mom and dad knew that he wasn’t feeling well.

As I got my breakfast together, I realized that I was leaving later than I had all week. I shrugged my shoulders and quietly said to myself, “Oh well. This is what you do when you love someone. And this is only a small fraction of what parents do every day.”

Harnett Off-Broadway is important. I have 41 extremely excited students to lead.

My ordination is important. I will get to spend Sunday evening with most of my favorite people, and those people will get to see and meet each other and lots of different paths are going to collide.

Meeting deadlines is important. It directly impacts my job performance.

Holy week is important. It’s the biggest week of the year in the church calendar and music plays an integral part.

And yet…

Through the tears in his eyes, Jack kept looking at me this morning and saying, “Thank you, Aunt Dee.” And when I hugged him just before leaving, he said, “I love you, Aunt Dee.” I said, “I love you, too, buddy. Feel better.”

In that moment, everything else faded to the background.
Work is work. And there will always be more work to do.
But love is love. And love is what matters most in this world.