That was then

Before...

my favorite burner on my stove was the big one in the front

I could eat at any hour of the day if I so chose

I never hid in the kitchen corner just to eat a piece of cake

I was not consumed with the fear of furniture tipping over

when I woke up at night I did not listen for the sound of a child breathing

I made one main course for supper

I thought sharing a piece of my already-chewed gum with someone else was gross

my carpet would stay clean for several days after I vacuumed it

I would leave a drink temporarily unattended on a kitchen table, coffee table or end
table

I would leave my house without a bag of toys and supplies

I slept in frequently

I could get up at 7:20 and still make it to work on time

I would go shopping for an entire day

I scrapbooked endless pages of just the two of us

I did laundry once a week

Plugging in a small appliance was fast and easy

I only had to be concerned with buying my own clothes and choosing my own hairstyle

I did not say a prayer of thanks for 8 hours of sleep

I could read a book without a small person in my lap

I would dump a whole bag of chocolate chips into the cookie dough without portioning
out a few for my assistant to snack on

I would walk past leaves, sticks, pinecones and other treasures without a second thought

I barely noticed a fly on the ceiling

I did not count the birds sitting in the tree outside my living room window

I did not look for a lesson in an everyday experience

I could go out to eat at will and with no concerns about atmosphere or type of food
served

I would fold clean sheets without first making them into a tent

I threw away dryer sheets before I could throw them high in the air and watch the float slowly down to the floor

I did not know how entertaining an empty jello box was

I barely noticed the garbage and recycling trucks on Thursdays

I could talk on the phone for several minutes with no interruptions

I did not think anyone would ever want to be just like me

I prayed about myself more than others

I did not care about the volume level on the t.v. in the evenings

I valued my me-time too highly

I did not know or see how God could love me unconditionally

I could not carry on a conversation with a toddler using 5 words

I was more concerned about how hot it was than the bliss of splashing in a pool

I did not take the long way home from church just so we could drive past a pasture
full of cows

I never sang my old Sunday school songs

I didn’t go to garage sales or consignment shops

my shirt never had un-noticed child smudges on the sleeves or shoulders

I was the only female my husband snuggled with and gave kisses and hugs

I did not speak in weird funny voices throughout the day

I did not tell stories that involved spit, slime, snot, vomit or poop

going away for a weekend did not mean I had to pack up my entire house

I did not know the entertainment value in jewelry

I did not spell every other word I said to my husband

I would drink coffee out of a regular coffee mug, not an insulated travel mug, on a
daily basis

my days did not revolve around anyone else’s nap or feeding schedule

I could easily focus on a sermon

no one observed my every move

I decided what to make for lunch at approximately 12:15 pm

I would wear dangly earrings

I thought MY hair was soft

I didn’t really like pink all that much

I did not know the love of a child




But I don’t miss any of it.