"Aren't You Grateful?"

So I learned my kids read my blog regularly. :) The other day they were pushing each other's buttons and causing all kinds of contention when Nick turned to me and asked, "Aren't you grateful?" I was totally confused by that question right at that particular moment since I was getting ready to ban each of them to their rooms till college. Then he reminded me of my blog post and said, "Aren't you grateful you get to experience this with us?" Hahaha. Yes I am! But they quickly learned that gratitude does NOT equal consequence-free living...too bad for them! :)

Gratitude

Today I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I get to go through all the "joys" of having teenagers and a pre-teen. :) I'm sure that anyone reading this would now like to know what kind of drugs I'm on to be so overwhelmingly grateful for having kids in the stage of life where they are trying to establish their own identities and sometimes that can be a tad unpleasant. They are trying to find the balance of separating themselves from their parents but also still needing them tremendously...and they decide that their sibling (or siblings) really only serve the purpose of annoying them. This can make for some interesting interactions amongst the family. I, however, am grateful for every minute of it!!

The reason for my feelings of gratitude comes from an article I read in the paper this morning about a young, first time mom who was dealing with a very rambunctious 2 year old in church. She brought her outside to let out some of her energy between meetings and was giving her small pieces of apple she had cut up. To her mom and dads horror, she choked on one of these tiny pieces and it ended up in her lungs...she could not be resuscitated. This mom has started a blog called "A Good Grief" and spends her life now raising money for other parents in this position to be able to put a decent sized head stone on their childrens graves. My heart absolutely broke as I read this article but in the background of my reading it I could hear my daughter having a VERY difficult time finding something to wear to school and making sure we all knew it. I instantly became so grateful for that moment and I responded differently than I normally would have because of my new found gratitude for each and every moment.

I'm grateful to be having the feelings I'm having about Bryson...our newly 18 year old joining the Marines. Even though they are very conflicting feelings, I'm proud of him for wanting to be part of something bigger than himself and his desire to make a difference. I'm grateful for Nick and his desire to always do his best even though this sometimes causes great anxiety in him if he falls short. I'm grateful I get to learn how to help him through this sometimes difficult journey. And I'm grateful I get to experience my daughter turning into a pre-teen and help her make this sometimes difficult transition in life. None of these things are easy but I am so grateful I get to have the experience with them. I have a new found appreciation for these moments and it's just another reminder that we cannot take a single moment for granted.