Saturday, April 12, 2008

Sitting in the Middle of This Ecstacy

I had another dream about lions at the door
They weren't half as
frightening as they were before

Last summer, Ted got a glimpse of what he thinks heaven's going to be like. When all of his side of the family was in Portland for a wedding, we all gathered for dinner one late afternoon at McMenamins Edgefield. A few of us got there early for a wine-tasting, but by at least an hour before sundown, everyone was together ordering food and pitchers of beer on one of the sloping lawns where picnic tables were set up. The cooking was going in an outdoor kitchen while kids were running around playing. The temperature was perfect and everyone was swapping stories of recent hiking adventures and family updates and jokes and laughter. I looked over at Ted and he was teary. He said this is what heaven is going to look like.

I felt that way today for a moment. Today was the warmest day of the year so far with completely blue skies (in a Portland spring, we relish these days), so all the doors in the house were wide open. I was in the kitchen cooking up batches of home-made babyfood with my favorite kitchen utensil, my hand-held mixer. I love this thing. I have a mild-obsession with soup (okay, more than mild: we have a dream of opening a soup restaurant one day), and this mixer is perfect for making creamy soups.

While I was pureeing peas, spinach, green beans and carrots for the boy, Abe was in his bouncy jumper thing, wearing one of those one-piece summer outfits with a giraffe on it and no shoes. The sound of his feet hitting the floor with each jump felt like the sweetest sound I've ever heard. I could look out the french doors to the backyard to see Ted digging in the dirt and the cats rolling in ecstasy in the fresh holes.
The mix CD our friend Carolee made for the L.A. shower was playing, and when I heard these lyrics about being up in the firs where it smells so sweet and being together in eternity, my throat tightened and tears started to spill in the peas.

Have faith, have faith, have faith. Sometimes the heavenly ecstasy grabs a hold of us here in this life, and I think these moments happen more than we realize. It's all around us. He really is.

One of these days we're gonna sail away, sail into eternity...
--Bruce Cockburn

15 comments:

emily said...

Wow. Beautiful post. Your moment brought tears to my eyes! I know those moments you are talking about. Thank you for reminding me of them.

Autumn and Dan's family said...

Ahhhhhh....We should never take for granted the time we have with our children!
Yes, wasn't yesterday beautiful! We had a moment outside that reminded us of wonderful Portland summers...concerts at Krueger Farm, barbeques, playing at the park...
Oh, and Abe is absolutely beautiful!
Autumn

jen said...

I loved this post. LOVED. thank you.

Anonymous said...

yesterday was amazing...we wouldn't appreciate that weather if it was always like that.

sounds like a perfect day and that you recognized it as such, even better!

Jana said...

I read this and think: Joy comes in the morning!

Anonymous said...

Hi stranger! (of course i mean that literally ;)) Your posts often make me teary eyed.. so glad your blog fell into my cyber lap. Thanks.

Kristy -Mom To 9 Blessings said...

What a beautiful post. What a gloriuos thing when we are able to picture heaven here on earth! Ahhhhh!
Blessings,
Kristy

Stacie said...

OH how beautiful! Both parts of that story brought tears to my eyes. Little pieces of perfection - heaven. I love it.

(And, we always talk about a soup restaurant too! Although in our Soup Shack, Kevin will be cooking - I have no skills in that department :)

Jennifer said...

I LOVE this post. There are so many days when we are out in the yard, sun shining, with other family or just us and I think the same thing....there is so much beauty here if we just stop to recognize it!
Oh- I need one of your handheld mixers too...

Carol said...

Lori - I had one of those moments when my son was little that has danced in my memory for a decade! Our kids are such blessings. Thank you for another beautiful post!
Carol

Anonymous said...

Love those glimpses of heaven, and the making of those precious family moments. Thanks for the reminder to recall those moments in our own lives.

Pattie

Angie said...

You're such a great writer, Lori! I loved reading this...saw the whole thing as I'm reading. Awesome.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to call this weekend. I will try you this week though. :)

jen said...

thanks for your kind comment about Sam. I do think he and Abe look a little alike. It will be fun this summer to see them together! take care, Jen

Cindy said...

so sweet : )

Anonymous said...

Lori, Well I am making soup tonight and as I put my immersion blender in it, your post, this one, sprang to my mind and made me smile. I don't have my little guy bouncing in the kitchen (though I do have some wild screamers on scooters outside!)....but I am feverishly working on travel arrangements and soon enough I will. Your post is kind of like a promise to the rest of us. Very nice! Hopefully my fresh roasted tomato basil soup will be very nice too! Your post also makes me think of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld! Ha! Go soup!