See

 "The crowning evidence that Jesus was alive was not a vacant grave, but a spirit filled fellowship. Not a rolled away stone, but a carried away church." Clarence Jordan

A few weeks ago we took Mo Trouble for his first full grooming.

I'm going to confess when I went to pick him up, I did not recognize him. He did not look like our dog.

He immediately jumped on me and his behaviors definitely screamed "Mo."

Visually he did not look like Mo. Mo Trouble has been this scruffy mess since the day we brought him home.

He's never looked like one of those "doodle" dogs until he was groomed.

For the first few weeks, I laughed every single time I saw him. He looked ridiculous to me. Have you seen his eyelashes? Apparently he has movie star eyelashes we've never seen for all the fur on his face.

The realist in me has come to love the hair cut. Brushing him - so much easier. Bathing him - goodness how much less time. The amount of my backyard being dragged into my living room -substantially less.

However, a piece of me misses the scruffy look that made him uniquely ours.

The scruffy look was familiar.

The scruffy look sort of justified his poor behavior .

I still find it hard to recognize him sometimes.

But then, he comes out of his crate every morning and refuses to potty, eat or do anything else until he's exuberantly greeted me with a "good morning mommy" string of jumps/licks/kisses.

Then I remember - he's still Mo.

I just have to work a little harder to "see" him these days.

I was thinking this morning as my big two left for work/school, how I sometimes feel the same way about them.

They look like grown ups these days.

Different than the visual I've always known.

I don't recognize their voices, the facial hair, the dyed hair on their head, the wardrobe selections, the car keys dangling, the revolving door as they come/go so often.

It's not the visual I'm used to.

But then, my Mother's day card will read "momma" or one will say "love you too" at the end of the phone call and I remember.

I know them.

Mama Warriors, parenting young adults is a new ball game.

Maybe you, too, as we hit that "insane May" stretch are feeling like the visual doesn't match what you know.

Remember that somewhere in that changed outer appearance, you do know them.

You may just have to work a little harder to "see" them.