10 More Moments

I’ve had a couple of entries now about defining moments in my life. Here are 10 more from my life thus far (in no particular order) that have had quite an impact on who I am today:

1. My grandfather’s death. I didn’t want to be there when he took his last breath. But I was, and I’m glad. I can’t explain this to anyone who hasn’t witnessed a death in person, but I swear I saw his spirit lift from his body. Calm came over him and the weight in the room lifted. It defined my belief in Heaven.
2. Receiving an epidural. This was supposed to HELP me. Instead it started a string of really difficult years of pain and therapy after it was administered poorly and created nerve damage. It defined my trust in medical professionals and medicine in general.
3. Birthing my son. He was a natural delivery (given #2) and it defined my womanhood.
4. My daughter’s birth – an emergency c-section this time. It defined my womanhood in a different way. It made me realize I couldn’t do it all!
5. Planning my mother’s funeral when my father couldn’t. My sister, pastor and I sat in a waiting room in CICU and did this almost exactly 5 years ago. Having that responsibility defines just how critical your role as a child is in your parent’s life.
6. Witnessing my husband stand up for me to someone who was being very mean and confrontational. You expect your spouse to do this, but to actually witness it defines your position in your marriage.
7. Demanding a bottle from a lactation nurse. I sat in a rocker in NICU and allowed my daughter to be poked with needles while also trying to force-nurse her when she was starving and suffering with jaundice. The lactation nurse kept insisting she needed “me.” She needed food, period. After I toned her attitude down and reminded her that his baby was MY baby and to get me a bottle, my daughter drank every ounce and began to turn a corner. It was another motherhood-defining moment.
8. My baptism. I was raised Baptist and was baptized after recognizing Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at the age of 8. I remember every moment of that morning. It defined who I was as one of Christ’s children.
9. Creating a will. Sitting in the lawyer’s office and making decisions about our last hours and who would care for our children and handle our assets was very humbling. It defined my role as a human.
10. Driving home after spending the day watching my mother lay in a coma and knowing my father had cancer, I fell apart and allowed Jesus to take the wheel because I know I wasn’t there in that car, at least my mind wasn’t. It defined every role I’ve ever owned.