I am Grateful......

After reading another mom's blog I am reminded of how much I have to be grateful for. My beautiful girls are healthy and happy. They make terrible messes in my house, fight with each other, spill drinks and food on the floor, and the list goes on and on......but you know what? I am grateful for those things. There are many mommies out there that have had their beautiful babies taken away from them way too early and others that are fighting terrible horrible diseases. They may never have the chance to experience toys all over the living room floor and wet, sticky suckers in their baby's hair. They will never get to snuggle with their children before bed at night or rock them back to sleep when they wake up at 3am. They won't get to smell that sweet baby smell or hear those first 3 little words that makes a mom's heart melt, "I love you". It isn't fair. And yet, somehow, those mom's keep on living and coping. Some have wonderful friends and family and support systems. Some do not. Some have other children that they need to be strong for. But....it's not fair. No parent should have to watch their child be taken away from them. No parent should have to make the choice to have their child taken off of the only thing that is keeping them alive. No parent should have to watch their child have surgery after surgery hoping that this time it will work. No parent should have to sit and watch their baby get sicker and sicker and have absolutely no control over what is happening. It's not fair. So, today I am sad for all of those mommies and daddies that have difficult decisions to make and pray that I never have to experience the pain they are feeling. Yet, I am grateful for the health and happiness for my girls and for the little things that they do everyday. I am grateful for the friends & moms I have met over the years and for the babies and young children that I work with everyday. They have taught me to enjoy the little things and that every little accomplishment is worth celebrating. Yesterday, I had a 2 year old start talking. I had a phone call from another mom at 8:00 pm at night just to tell me her little girl was finally taking her first steps. And yet another family got news that they are going to try a new experimental medication to treat their daughter. These parents are amazing people! And how grateful I am that I am involved in their lives as a teacher and friend. Yes, there are tough times for many of these kids and families and they all have difficult decisions to make, but I bet they are grateful for the little things too! I want to share Bring the Rain with you. This is the mom I referred to at the beginning of my post. I don't know this person, but found a link to her blog on another friend's blog. She is a complete stranger and yet I feel like I know her. She lost her baby girl and yet she still finds ways to be grateful.