Syra Divine - Syras Scribbles II: Give Thanks Unto the Lord

Syras Scribbles II

Give Thanks Unto the Lord

Syra Divine

Copyright 2014 by Syra Divine.

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Rev. date: 05/12/2014

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Contents

January 2006

Dear Ruth,

Wish me a happy birthday! My twenties are way behind me now. Im thirty-one years old. Last year I was a mother of two little girls and thought I had my life figured out. I even toyed with the idea of going back to work as an adjunct professor of mathematics at a local community college. Now that I have a baby boy and my mom has moved in with us life is challenging, and yet I feel more confident than ever.

I look lovely in long skirts falling to my feet and colorful head scarves covering my hair. I stay at home with my three kids, and even though Basil is only two months old, I want another baby before were done. We rent a three bedroom house in the suburbs near sunny San Diego, California. I adore my husband who is a passionate hardware engineer working for a cutting edge startup company. My mom lives with me so I can take care of her and hug her every day. We go to church with my best friend Ryoko, my god-daughter Ryanna, and our wonderful church family. Im so blessed.

I have so much to be thankful for, and yet Im easily frustrated. Now that Basil is sleeping through the night I want to clean the house better, but I cant figure out how to work around his schedule. My mom doesnt appreciate my attempts to keep her diabetes under control and sneaks chocolate and sweets whenever she can. She and Esther keep fighting over board games too. Im hoping its a four-year-old phase that Esther will grow out of. Sophia is the sweetest two-year-old ever. She climbs on everything though, and I cant enjoy potty training.

Ive been an Eastern Orthodox Christian for five years. Though Im surrounded by icons and have all the help the Church provides, I still get caught up in the details of my life and forget God. Im not sure if I forget God more when Im having fun or when Im aggravated. I want to be the Christian that God wants me to be. I long for joy and peace in all circumstances.

As my New Year resolution, I will dedicate this year to being more thankful. My friend Sarah Elizabeth gave me a booklet with the Akathist of Thanksgiving: Glory to God for All Things. This lengthy hymn was written in 1934 by Metropolitan Tryphon during the communist persecution of Christians in Russia. There are so many reasons to be thankful that dont depend on me. I too want to be thankful for all things.

Im getting philosophical in my old age, but Im not that old. Am I?

Although we just returned from our Christmas trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit Mikes folks, I didnt have any adventures worth writing about. The more kids we have the harder it is to travel across the country, and the harder it is to visit everyone while giving equal time to both Mikes parents. I wish we could move back to Albuquerque.

Next month my mom has her nephrology appointment to find out more about her kidney failure. I also expect visits from my sisters Maya and Gretl who promised me they would come out during their kids spring breaks. Surely Ill have something interesting to write about soon.

Your correspondent from the front room,

Syra

February 2006

Dear Ruth,

Weve been tourists in our own town lately. I spent last Wednesday at the zoo with my sister Gretl and her son Ezekiel. Then last weekend Mike and I took the kids and my mom to Sea World. We saw all the shows and splurged on the Sea World food. Its been so sunny and perfect lately that I forgot its supposed to be winter. I plan on taking the kids to Sea World on Mondays while my mom takes her two hour bobbin lace class near downtown San Diego.

Yesterday I dropped my mom off at her class and headed straight back to Sea World with the kids. I was nervous because this was my first big outing with all three kids by myself. Im too scared to take them to the beach, but I thought I could handle Sea World. At least thats what I told Mike when I convinced him to buy annual passes. I planned to start where we left off on Saturday, find the childrens playground, see some aquariums, and eat funnel cake. On Saturday my mouth was watering for funnel cake covered with strawberries and whipped cream, but I dont eat high carb desserts when my mom is around. My mom has no self-control, and the only way I can keep her on a diabetic diet is by limiting what foods she has access to.

First I sat and nursed Basil while we watched the spectacular antics of the killer whales. It started sprinkling after the whale show, but we stayed seated and entertained ourselves watching the people. A Sea World employee stood at the bottom of the stands waving his arms and yelling at people who kept trying to jump down the seats. I could understand the teenagers daring to jump down the bleachers, but I had to shake my head at the grey haired old man and his wife who were willing to break their necks to get out a little faster.

Eventually the crowd cleared without any casualties, and we strolled over to the playground. I thought the sandpit with all the dump trucks was a great idea, but the girls ran over to the huge climbing structure that Sophia was barely tall enough to climb on. I calmly watched the girls climb up to the top of a huge slide. Then I panicked when Sophia screamed that she was stuck. What had I been thinking? I couldnt climb up to save her with Basil strapped to my chest in my nursing sling, and I certainly couldnt abandon him in the stroller. Thankfully Esther came to the rescue, sliding down the slide holding hands with Sophia. After ten more minutes of fun, Sophia ran over to me crying out, I have to go potty! I called Esther down the slide, asked directions from another mother, and set off running to the bathrooms.

We were just a little bit too late. I put Sophia in a new dress and a clean pair of leggings, and asked Esther to use the bathroom while we were there. She insisted that she didnt need to go, but I demanded that she at least try. When I finished up with Sophia, I realized that Esther had barely entered the stall, and remembered how terrified she was of automatically flushing toilets. I refused to give up. Telling Sophia to guard Basil and the stroller, I devoted myself to Esther. I squatted down behind the toilet and held my hand over the sensor. Esther bravely sat on the toilet, and I saw her body slightly relax under the influence of my reassuring words. I would keep her safe. I wouldnt let the toilet flush. She could trust me. I told her a joke and a story to distract her from her fears. I did everything I could besides begging her to pee so that I wouldnt have to spend my whole trip to Sea World in and out of the bathroom.