Jason and I found a nice shaded spot by friends. We were at the Port Neches
parade. And though we were the recipients of a few tossed jolly ranchers and butterscotch disks, neither the candy or fine floats were what I was interested in.
We were anxious to see our girls all decked out in their Santa hats marching and twirling to the tune of Let it Snow. We were interested in seeing them, because past parades have brought about unfavorable dispositions.
My children aren't particularly fond of walking, even less so in near eighty-degree weather wearing fuzzy Santa hats. On more than one occasion Rylie has ended up in the truck with James Mosley waving from the window because the journey was too much to bear.
For Hallie, smiling for that long is both unnatural and requires great effort.
Today, we were delighted. Hallie and Rylie both marched to the parade's completion. And they smiled.
We waited to get inside the car before having a small breakdown. I turned around to find Rylie crying; wildly breathing into her Santa hat with her hands cupped around its brim as if it were a paper sack used for hyperventilating.
She was hot and she was winded. She's asthmatic and dramatic. And her water bottle was missing. To make matters worse "all of the people on the sidewalks looked so happy with their candy" she bitterly complained after catching her breath.
Still I'm happy. All of those steps accomplished, and with a smile.
Completion.
Red-faced progress.
I saw Hallie smile. It was a long walk. I wonder if her cheeks hurt.
Pleased with herself or not, I saw Rylie press on. Maybe next time we'll make it all the way home without sweat or tears.
We all have a course to march. Sometimes we'll march with a smile while other legs of the journey will bring about inconceivable duress.
Take heart.
We have a reason to smile and we have a reason to keep marching.
Every step in this life-long journey is on Immanuel's ground.
Immanuel-God with us.
Then let our songs a bound and every tear be dry;
We're marching through Immanuel's ground;
We're marching through Immanuel's
Ground,
To fairer worlds on high, to fairer worlds on high.
We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We're marching upward to Zion; the beautiful city of God