Five Minute Friday: After

April 5, 2013September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett

On Fridays around these partswe like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.

–from Lisa-Jo, click here to join in

After

After the pushing and the groaning and the grunting through the pain and the moaning and the lying and the praying and the hoping, there’s the moment when it all fades and all you see is the face and the fingers and the hair that swirls so perfectly over that small, amazing head.

After the crying and the shrieking and the begging and the pleading and the walking and the pacing and the rocking and the singing, there’s the moment when his head settles in under your chin and his whimpers cease and his breathing evens and your lips brush, ever so slightly, over his hair and give thanks.

After the tantrum and the yelling and the slamming and the throwing and the ugly and the time-out and the pouting, there’s the moment when he climbs back into your lap and lays his head against your neck and whispers softly how he loves you while you caress the hair that’s getting longer and losing all its baby curl.

After the tough and the furious and the right and the wrong and the judgements and the laughter and the worry and the pride and the beautiful and the harsh, there’s the moments when they still curl up against you in the dead of night and settle so softly and sweetly that your heart is brought to the very edge of bursting.

Published by Lindsey P. Brackett

When I'm not wrangling four kids and a middle school classroom, I sit on my back porch in the mountains and write southern fiction that's short and long. I believe in Jesus, library fines, supper at the table, the Edislow life, and strong coffee. Pretty much in that order. View all posts by Lindsey P. Brackett

7 thoughts on “Five Minute Friday: After”

HopeUnbroken says:

April 5, 2013 at 11:28 am

love!!! parenting is so full of these contrasts. you present them beautifully 🙂
have a blessed weekend!
steph

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Denise says:

April 5, 2013 at 11:29 am

Precious.

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Richelle @ Our Wright-ing Pad says:

April 5, 2013 at 11:38 am

This was awesome! Such a fun and truthful and real read. Loved how you highlighted the highs and lows of parenting… and still finished feeling it is all good!

Great write today!

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Our Stories God's Glory says:

April 5, 2013 at 11:56 am

Oh…you made me cry! Yes, after can be so so so sweet. I'm about to be a mom, after the children have left the nest. Can't believe I'm here…but I am. And after my four girls have gone, the sweetness will be the phone calls, texts, emails, and reunions. Beautiful post!

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Leah says:

April 5, 2013 at 12:08 pm

Beautiful post of the absolute bi-polar emotions that children bring with them and produce in us. The high and lows are gonna keep on coming, baby. But so is all the good stuff.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Cheers,
Leah

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Amy says:

April 6, 2013 at 2:47 am

As an empty nester I thought the sweet afters would be gone but there are always new ones to come. Hearing that my daughter made it safe to her dorm after a weekend at home, My son deciding to spend the night after coming to help his dad do yard work and many many more,

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mrsbrownkiwi says:

April 7, 2013 at 4:09 am

ohhh this is neat!! Wonderfully crafted post and ohh man….it is sooo true – resonates with me.

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