By: Martianne Stanger
As my children grow, there are two sights I rarely tire of and continually marvel at – their backs…
… and the tops of their heads.
In fact, sometimes, seeing my children huddled together, heads bent at some simple task actually brings me to tears. Happy tears. Grateful tears.
They are mine. They are home. They are safe. They love one another.
Yes, as two of my children sit on the couch doing a hidden picture puzzle together, tears well in my eyes. How blessed I am with this moment of quiet. With this sense of thanksgiving. My children’s heads bowed together speak in such a simple, yet powerful way of their development, their bond, their natural inclination to learn and to love one another.
On another day, watching the backs of my three children exploring ahead of me on a trail overwhelms me with delight. I close my eyes for just a moment to take a deep breath, to smile and to whisper with every cell of my being, “Thank you.”
My children are growing. They are adventurous. They are beginning to find their own ways – literally and figuratively – in this world. Yet, they are still connected to one another, to me, to my husband, to the virtues and values we hold dear. May they always be so and may none of us ever forget how beautiful life is.
At least once a day, I am taken aback by a moment where my children’s heads bend forward as they whisper to one another, experimenting, exploring or concentrating.
It stops me short. I marvel at how the everydayness of a moment – three kids deciding to blow soap bubbles with straws – echoes of something miraculous.
Three children gifted to my husband and me, given breath of life and the depth of love. Our responsibility. Our privilege. Our dependents for years that will go too quickly. Our delight.
May they continue to grow in wisdom, stature and fun and may they never question: they are loved!
What everyday evidence of miraculous beauty and gratitude do you witness in your life?
Community Voices for Health 