Today was just one of those days, that at the end of it, while I was putting Hadleigh to sleep, I kind of thought, Wow, what a waste. But after some thought, I realized that really it isn't a waste, it is just another day in the life of a mom with small kids. I spent most of the morning cleaning the house while attempting to keep the two kids entertained and most of the evening trying to cook dinner and keep the two kids entertained. But, in the inbetween moments I also made my baby laugh, played doll house with Elle, watched Hadleigh splash in the tub and swung Elle in the swing. Those are the moments that count. Not the dusting and the dishes, but the smiles and the hugs and the precious moments that are so fleeting.
I am not sure why, but for some reason, my Facebook home page has recently been flooded with so many of my friends "liking" different pages or stories of parents who have lost children. I cannot force myself not to read their stories. The truth is that I am constantly wondering, what if I'm next? What if that story was MY story? But today, in this moment, it isn't my story and for that I am thankful. It certainly has caused me to hug my babies a little tighter and a little longer. God does not promise us a life without heartache and I pray that those parents who have lost their children would find comfort in the only ONE who can truly give it.
This is just a reminder to myself, to the mom who is sitting here with hair that never got blow dried today and who never put on any make-up, or who honestly never got out of her sweat pants, that these are the days that count... these are the days that as long as I spent time with my kids and spoke gentle words to them and hugged them or picked them up when they needed me, these are the best days.
