Chronos, Kairos

Once again, I find myself exhausted -- after a truly long, hard day of copywriting at work, still a bit exhausted and tired-out from yesterday's first training -- and it was tempting once again to skip tonight's endeavor. But I had something to share, something I read today, about motherhood and time. Right up our alley, no? So here I am.

The full article is here, and I highly (highly!) recommend reading it, as more of this will make sense. But the gist of her article centered around, as a mother, getting through the chronos times -- when the kids are screaming, or throwing fits, or when we are just watching the clock thinking two more hours until bedtime. The times that we get through, that are difficult to make it through -- but somehow we do -- during these days and weeks of motherhood and mothering.

But then there are the kairos times, when everything slows down, and we look, really see our children, and are overwhelmed by their beauty, their humor, their gloriousness, their childhood. We're overwhelmed with gratitude and love and hope. These are the times we live for. Chronos is the time we live through, and it's ok that chronos is so much more of our regular days.

Chronos -- driving home late in traffic and almost getting hit head-on by a truck not paying attention and crossing the line (on the phone?). Kairos -- tonight as we brush teeth and with his mouth full of brush, Grif looks right up at me, in my eyes and says Mommy, I love you so much (it's the "so" that always gets me). Chronos, making dinner and prepping and plating, even though I'm tired and headachy. Kairos, coming in the door to a shouted "mommy!!!!" then lounging on the couch, on Jim, with Grif splayed across us both, watching Thomas and relaxing, truly, from the day.

Chronos, making the effort to get out the computer even though all I wanted was to crash on the couch. Kairos, seeing, feeling, knowing it was worth it.