When life is like a Norman Rockwell painting...

Somewhere between Gillian helping me make salads, gleefully, and all of us romping on the bed after her bath, I thought, "it doesn't get much better than this." Better than what? Being greeted with a beaming HEALTHY little girl saying, "Mama! Hi!" in her Papa's arms, who apparently had a great day with her friend Francie? Or the moments when she literally helped me make salads, washing the veggies and arranging them on the plates, while we were singing and laughing...or maybe it was during dinner when she had so much to tell us about her day, excitedly in her little girl voice. Then there was her little hand gestures that said she wanted to sing "where is thumbkin?" And at bath time, where she made me tear up twice, heart overflowing... At bedtime, she grabbed her nappy (which doubles as a lovey), layed her sweet head on the rocking chair and said "nite-nite". She had a bottle, snuggled up to me in her rocking chair, and when she was done, she gestured toward her bed and said "nite nite" again telling me her day was done and she was ready to sleep-in her safe little bed and dream her iridescent angel dreams.

Sometimes it's like this, where you think, "is this my life?" Is this my beautiful child? Is this my great love? Is this my joy, and my work, and my peace? And then you're overcome, because it wasn't always like this-all shining and magnificent. Coming from dark places, it is even more overwhelming to be neck deep in blessings, and beauty, and love. But I swear with all that is holy in me that I will work my entire life to make these days number more than other kinds, to paint the walls of this house with laughter and the security of knowing my family is aware of how full of love and light it is. This is our home. This is MY family.