Four Times Over

Today could have been really sad.

It could have been a really awful day for me, Christian's mom.

I could have had to just barely get through this day.

But it wasn't that kind of day because Christian is here. Christian's alive. Sometimes I forget that because he's not the same kind of alive as you and me and my neighbor and my other kids. But he's alive.

Being a mother was the only thing I ever really wanted to do since I was little. Everything else came secondary. Today I'm honored that God would entrust me with three little lives.

One of those lives He entrusted to me twice.

I'm honored to be the mother of these three kids - even though Gabe complained about having to do his own laundry today, Lola screamed in hysterics at my gramma's house during our Mother's Day get together, and I'm not as confident as I was last week in Christian's new medication - I'm so glad I have all three of them to worry and complain about.

Because this day could have been so different.

I'm also just truly blessed to be able to have given birth to these kids. Women struggle every day to just become pregnant, and then stay pregnant, and then safely give birth. And then after giving birth, the trouble and worrying has really only just begun. If I didn't wholly appreciate this day I would be doing a disservice to those who aren't able to celebrate this day...yet. A disservice to those women who do feel pain when Mother's Day arrives.

Okay, so it's a little hard to be thankful and sunshiney with a four month old screaming in your ear. BUT, at the end of this Mother's Day, I'm so very thankful that I get to celebrate Mother's Day three times over!

Actually, four times over. Christian was given to me twice.

This morning I woke up to a breakfast bonanza that my husband and oldest son cooked up. I was met by donuts, banana waffles, fresh berries and a People magazine. I sat surrounded by all my kids and what could be better than that?