The Joy in Life

Things feel right today, all my family around me...the family growing with the birth of Mei-Ling and Elizabeth...the joy feels so tangible, so present. Right now the day is slow and easy, nothing rushed, nothing pressing. It is a very great thing to love your children, it's a wonderful thing, but it is even better when your children really love you, like you and want to be near you. I have been thinking about that today, feeling such joy in knowing my children now adults with their own families, and how they call so often, how they want to be around Emery and I. How they ask us advise, share what is happening in their lives. Include us in their day to day happenings. The closeness that we all share is a joy beyond words. Not only do I love how close we are to the children, but its even great fun to see the children all interact with one another. The way they talk to each other on the phone, laugh together, share memories and plans. Joke and laugh about things they did as children, and how they show compassion and love towards one another at all times.
All the time, the energy, the constant work of raising our family has been so well spent, we are now reaping such a harvest of profound joy. There are hardships and worries from time to time, but with each other to share with and lean on, it never feels overwhelming. There is always a hug to be had, or a shoulder to lean on. We used to all hang on to each other in the pool when the children were small and sing this little song we made up, "We are a family, a family are we" we sang it with arms wrapped around each other and we would bob up and down. Silly really, and we laugh about it now, but Melanie shared with me that she and Casi sing that little silly song with Mei-Ling now. If you think about it, that little song isn't so silly. We are a family, a family are we..... and what joy there is contained in this little house today.
Each moment you use to build a happy strong family is worth it, even though its a tough job at times. So when you are tired, worn out, feeling frazzled, keep on keeping on focus on what you want for the outcome of your parenting.... it is the one job you don't get to "do over". You can patch things you mess up, but you can never go back and do it all over again. Childhood is a one time event.