Missing Mackenzie

We have been missing Mackenzie a lot lately...she is in Pennsylvania away at College. She sent Baeleigh a birthday card and a scarf as you can see from the picture. It was so much fun getting mail from her but made us miss her more! I am excited that finally today she is making her journey home for the weekend!

It's funny because every morning when I pass the Lex-Springmill Exit, I see the Target sign and I always think of shopping which makes me think of Amber and Mackenzie. So then I pray for them.

I have just really been blessed to have these girls in my life. The first time I met Mik, she was 8 years old and we were on a group vacation in Myrtle Beach. She was so sweet and I remember hoping that if I ever had a daughter, that they would listen as well as she does! (That wish didn't come true, LOL, my daughter doesn't take orders very well...)

When I got pregnant with Baeleigh, Mackenzie made me a Congrats card that said "I will babysit for free". She was 11 but so mature for her age. Then to find out that Maddie was on the way too, that put that girl in hog heaven! A few years later, I talked Mackenzie into Teens-N-Talents and she has been a star ever since. One of my favorite skits that I wrote especially for her was called "Cool Crowd or Cool Christian?" and she was the lead role. Adam Bennette gave her a hard time about it, made her cry, so I kicked him out of there. My favorite part in teh skit is where Steven Gamble got down on one knee and sang "My Girl" to her. It was so cute but hilarously funny. All of her friends were in the skit (I did that on purpose too): Katy, Mark, Allie and Andre'.

Amber headed up the other group of teens. She and I would stay up for hours at night trying to write her drama so it would be ready for the first practice. She always memorized her lines immediately, so she could beat everyone else. Yes, my girl was just as competitive as I was...guess that's why we won the Drama Competition every year...for six years!

If nothing else ever came out of my ten year drama coach reign, I would hope that the kids learned that they were capable of doing something great. Even the kids that hated speaking in front of people and I let them off easy by giving them a wordless part, they were still part of the group and their contribution was important even though small.

Isn't that what life is all about? Regardless of how "big our part is", or how glamourous or non-glamourous our lives may be ~ as long as we are part of the team, we are important.

I try to explain to Baeleigh that it's okay to have a small part in Jan's plays at Crestview because all of the kids can't have big parts, and if you want to be a part of the team, you have to go where you are needed.

So any contribution, be it big or small, really doesn't matter. It's how well you contribute, and what condition your heart is in and what attitude you bear that makes a difference.

As I look forward to hugging Mackenzie to death on Saturday, I look at her and see big things in her future. She is always willing to take back stage to help someone else out or to sacrfice what she really wants to help someone else. Coaching Upward with her was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and as her shoes are getting filled by someone else this year my heart aches...but I know that she is spreading her wings and flying in God's direction...which is the only place to be.

Happy Birthday to Jack IV, Maddie, Payton & Jaydyn.

xoxo
N.