The other day I did my final load of laundry.

No, it’s not my final FINAL load. But it is the last time I will ever wash an athletic uniform. My youngest son is now officially retired from competitive sports. His basketball team lost in the first round of playoffs last week, and yesterday he turned in his uniforms. Maybe instead of going to games three-ish times a week, I’ll take up the habit of taking an evening stroll!

It is interesting as we get closer to a college decision and empty nesting, how it makes you aware of such things as a final load of laundry. By God’s grace, I think I have been pretty good at savoring the seasons. I loved cuddling my newborns. I adored the daily laughs of toddlerhood and the joy of their simplest of pleasures. Would that a wand and some bubbles could so satisfy us as adults! How gratifying to see my sons learn to read, to work hard at sports, to make friends, to navigate big changes like moving states. How wonderful to witness them ask deep questions and embrace a biblical worldview! This last season has been a sweet one with just one at home — three years of just us three.

I don’t want to be the kind of person that longs for something other than what God has for me. I don’t want to be a sad empty nester. I am sure the college drop off will be tearful, but I want to bounce back quickly and cherish that new season and whatever it brings. I can always look back with gratitude that I had the opportunity to quit my job as a lawyer and be a full-time mom. It wasn’t a hard decision and it was one I’ve never regretted. I do not know what I’ll do in this next decade, but I am excited to find out.

The world wants us to feel less than satisfied without the obtaining the latest gadget or achieving the latest look, but the Bible teaches to be content in all circumstances, to recognize that seasons come and go, but that God is faithful. Today I heard a teenage girl recite this poem.

Dust if You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better 
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and a life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there 
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.
By Rose Milligan.

I’m not very knowledgeable about poetry, but the poems I like best are like this one — sweet and simple, but also poignant. After all, we are indeed on our way to returning to dust; our bodies and all our stuff will be mere dust. Shouldn’t we be thankful for the blessings of today?

Fortunately, our souls are eternal, God’s Word is eternal, and His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136.

Blessings,

Kristie