Grateful

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was coming off of a long weekend. Jonathan had been on the road for 4 days and I was exhausted from playing the role of a single parent. Alena (5), Kaity (2.5) and the 4 month old twins had worn a momma out! Now, finally Tuesday had come and I was simply basking in my chance to lounge around all day with only one, well 2 interruptions every 2 hours…feeding the twins. The big girls, Alena and Kaity, were both in school and the babies were right on schedule, eat/wake/nap/eat/wake/nap and so on.

I am not sure if it was something mentioned on Regis and Kelly, The View or The Price is Right, or maybe it was the pure luxury of watching mindless TV that did not involve puppets or counting shapes. But my heart began to cry out ‘Thank you God”. Thank you for a great life, for healthy children, a wonderful husband, family and friends that support and love us, a terrific yet free school for Alena, the fact that I can stay home and pour into my girls and focus on my family. Thank you that I have not loss my mind with all these kidsJ, thank you that I don’t have to worry about afterschool care, early drop-off or daycare. Thank you that I can sit and watch TV while my husband does bath time, that I can catch a movie or enjoy a pedicure. Thank you that I don’t have bill collectors calling or cutoff notices waiting…thank you that I don’t even take care of the bills! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Often, when we venture out and one by one little feet hop out of the van, and I begin to unload and snap car-seats into the double stroller, I seem to get looks of pity. Like: oh that poor mother, all those kids, she has to be stressed out…in return I want to look at them and say oh no! Don’t pity me…God has been good to me!!! So often our lives can become consumed with the things we do not have or the things we want. We exert all of our energy and efforts striving to get away from where we are, when the reality is that a lot of what we are asking for, God has done….it just doesn’t look the way we want it to…but today, right now, I see with God’s eyes and boy is it beautiful!