The privilege of sharing life

I just returned to South Africa after nearly three weeks in the States.  These three weeks were full of the privilege of sharing life with people that I hold extremely dear to my heart.  As soon as my feet hit American soil (well after flight delays, reroutings, and lost luggage), I hit the ground running with my sweet friend Haley who was to be married a mere forty-eight hours after my arrival.  I've had the extreme honor of sharing life with Haley for the last four years.  From meeting and befriending her in her freshman year, to the new man in her life that would eventually be her husband, to domestic and international mission trips, and so much more.  I can't even begin to count the number of laughs, memories, tears, breakfasts, journeys, and air mattresses that we've shared.  What an absolute honor and privilege to then be by her side as she walked through yet another milestone in her life.  I could not be more excited for this sweet couple nor more thankful for the opportunity to be a part of their big day.

After the wedding I had a few days to submerge myself in the community that I so dearly love in South Louisiana.  I definitely ate more than I should have, slept less than I needed, and talked until my voice was nearly gone.  But I only had a limited number of hours to soak in the community and relationships that I have missed over the last six months.  Luckily I was able to spend lots of time with my dear friend Ana.  A few years back I lived with Ana's sister and essentially lived with Ana too.  To this day I still call her "Rooms" because really she was our third roommate that year.  I was so glad to also be in town to celebrate Ana's birthday.  Dinner in New Orleans with family and friends at a fabulous new local restaurant.  And what day of celebration would be complete without a little impromptu photo shoot in an alley??

 Though I was not in a hurry to leave South Louisiana, I was extremely anxious to head north as to not miss my niece's arrival.  My sister-in-law was due any moment with their first child and I was beside myself with anticipation.  I arrived north on Tuesday night and my niece made her appearance on Thursday evening.  Giving my brother and sister-in-law and I just enough time to stuff our faces and hang out before they became a family of four (Boudreaux is their first child).  While they were staying at the hospital I stayed at their house to take care of Boudreaux.  Once they returned home with my niece, I was allotted the privilege of staying with them to help take care of this new precious little lady for the first week.  Dirty diapers.  3am feedings.  Midnight meltdowns.  You name it, I had a front row for it.  And I realized during that week just what a privilege I was being allotted.

Many new parents prefer to figure out the first few weeks by themselves.  Its a time of little sleep and high stress.  All of a sudden you have this tiny human to care for.  And it does not speak.  It uses the bathroom on itself.  And it does not sleep when you think it should.  And it likes to scream and yell for what seems to be the sheer fun of it.  I kept telling her that she needed to use her words.  And when she would yell about me chaining her diaper, I kindly reminded her that if she would just use the potty we wouldn't have this problem.  Apparently newborns don't talk and kids don't potty train that early.  But hey what kind of aunt would I be if I didn't try.

All of that being said, what a privilege to be there though.  In a time when my brother and sister-in-law could have easily said they preferred to figure out their new family dynamic as a family.  A time when the stress of the two of them was high and understandably could make them want just them at home.  However they chose to include me.  I got to be a part of it all.  When she wouldn't sleep I got tagged in to walk laps around the house to calm her down at 2am.  I was the first to wear her in a baby wrap.  A wrap that we discovered was magical at getting her to sleep when nothing else worked.    And I got my share of dirty diapers (only when mom and dad weren't available...... I typically don't do diapers).

At the end of my time in the States my heart was full.  It also ached at the idea of having to leave people so dear to me.  But what a reminder these three weeks were to me of the sheer privilege it is to share life with people.  In a world full of independence and boundaries and shallow relationships, it is so refreshing to have people willing to open their lives and let you fully be a part.  It's not a right but rather a privilege to walk through life's biggest moments with people.