Jen Plain and Simple

Posts

Formal Introduction * Ms. Powerful

I met her before she was 2. She has always been this beautiful, pictures don't even do her justice. She is both sweet and stormy. She commands attention without saying a word. She is powerful, brilliant, hardworking and kind. She is the one who pours herself into your world so naturally being around her is like taking a breath of fresh air. For me it was love at first sight and although we've had our rocky moments (we're both pretty sure we need to be the one in control 😋), I've never regretted a single moment of my experience with her. She is 19 now. For the sake of privacy I will call her Ms. Powerful. She may not share my DNA, but I love her with every fiber of my being and smile deeply every time she calls me mom. She is number 2 of the 6 reasons I know that I am blessed.

Formal Introduction * Mr. NSN

For the sake of privacy, I have changed his name. This is number 1 of the 6 reasons I know I'm blessed... This is Mr. Not-So-Neurotypical (or Mr. NSN). I met him when he was just barely 4 years old, not long after the doctors had given their best medical explanation for why he did things a little differently than other kids his age. If I'm being honest, that was during a time when it was really difficult to look past his symptoms and see the who-he-was in spite of the what-he-did. I remember how a simple trip to Wal-Mart could easily turn into an unprecedented melt down. He is almost 21 years old now and still prefers to move about life in patterns that are as safely predictable as possible. However, over the years that we have spent together I've come to more fully understand that he is so much more than a diagnosis or unprecedented melt downs. He is a soul who offers genuine hugs and infectious smiles. He is the co-worker who is predictably punctual and dependable

In My Own Backyard - Soundless Divergence

Count this as number 1 in a series. These are things that I find beautiful, plain and simple that took almost no effort to see, just a redirection of my attention. On this particular day, I had been experiencing what seemed to be a non-stop day of rushing. And by the time I reached the end of this day, my heart and soul were tumultuous and chaotic. And then there was this.... My 15 year-old daughters' gentle hand displaying this elegantly crafted unique treasure. 1 lilac blossom. 7 petals . While her fellow youth group members had played loud exciting games and chatted busily amongst each other, my daughter decided to step away and quietly assign herself the task of picking up freshly fallen lilac blooms. She ended up with quite the collection by the time she was done. Had she not been paying close attention she might have missed this soundless divergence... the way I often miss the details of God's breathtaking creation. Please understand, there is certainly nothing wr

Why Plain and Simple?

Plain and simple there isn't much about me that is interesting or exciting. As painfully true as it may be, the term ' average ' would be a pretty good word to use as a description for me... on my best days that is. There are also plenty of days where below average would fit quite a bit better. I'm on the other side of my mid 40's now. It has taken me this long to barely begin the process of embracing the who and where I am. I have spent a great deal of time wondering if I have settled for less than what I had planned. That wondering has often led me to 2 main questions. #1:Where exactly did I think I was going to end up anyway? and #2: What's so bad with the where I have come to call here? I'm still working on both answers actually, but I'll tell you what I have come up with so far. #1: I never really had a solid plan to begin with. I have always had a better idea of where I didn't want to end up than where I did want to end up. I have often ago