What Brings Comfort and Joy to My Life

 I grew up dreaming of going off to college, having a great paying job and being able to travel around the world. I had big plans. More than that, I had everything planned out. I knew who I was and what I wanted to be. But, now in my 30's, life hasn't quite turned out how I imagined. I am now a SAHM of two. My life was completely turned upside down by,

 ...those two. We can just call them thing 1 and thing 2. Oh, yeah. They are a little rough around the edges, they yell a little too loudly, they smear stickiness on everything they touch, but they have also brought unimaginable joy to my life. The joy that can only be experienced by a proud parent. They were born perfectly imperfect. Since it is what makes them unique, we have come to love their differences.

There seems to be a common thread between all new parents we know. The birth of a child turns life upside down, and we have seen our friends in every stage of insomnia and frustration. I dont' know why my toddler does some of the things he does. One minute he is drawing on the walls, while the next moment he is telling me I'm his best friend. I wouldn't change it for the world. The joy of my baby's first smile or first laugh brought a song to my heart. And their actions can melt.

Even more amazing has been watching the joy I feel from being around my children be experienced by the rest of our family. It is so wonderful to watch grandparents and great grandparents alike light up when my son gives them a hug. He loves to go up to people and tell them they are "my friend". Such pure and simple love they share with all around them. After seeing the effect the kids have on others, I see my children as a gift to be shared with everyone in the family. Luckily we live near so many family members. I can bundle the kids up in our little red wagon and walk down the street to visit with great aunts as well as great grandparents. I feel so blessed.

So, I am not working or traveling right now, and my life plan was thrown out the window years ago. What I have learned over the past 3 odd years is that family is what truly makes me happy. My husband and I are blessed to have 2 such beautiful and spirited little people in our lives. I am just glad that I was able to realize this. I never saw it coming, never planned for it. Life just had to show me what the true meaning of my life would be.

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*Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Kleenex blogging program, making me eligible to get a $40 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.