A letter I wrote to my wonderful daughters (and to anyone else who stops to read):
I wish for you each to see in life your "happily ever after". Yes, I believe in Happily Ever After. Not the fairytale kind, where a prince sweeps you off your feet, and you head off into the sunset with nary a concern ever again. But an even better kind... Happily Ever After where at the end of the day your feet hurt and your eyes are blurry and you are SO THANKFUL for everything you did that day. Where you hear the people you love gently snoring at night, peaceful, and you know it's because they're content with life too. Where you see the sunrise and the sunset and everything in between as the most amazing gifts, because they are. May you see that hard times don't have to be BAD times, because through them, God is working all around you, creating little works of art to please your eye; little acts of kindness to touch your heart; and funny acts of humour to bring you mirth when you least expect it. If you look for them, these things don't make up for the the hard parts of life, it's not "all better", but they do make it possible to feel glimmers of Happiness in the midst of it all. Happily Ever After , not because life is easy or perfect, but because it is SO VERY RICH.
May you not get swept up in the "_______ is SO HARD!" trend. Where we love to complain that everything (fill the blank -- parenthood, not having kids, being single, being married, staying home, travelling, working, being unemployed, etc) is SO HARD blah blah blah. I guarantee in every situation you will find stuff that is SO HARD. And it really truly is. But maybe, just maybe, there are also gifts immeasurable. Look for them, and you will find your Happily Ever After, woven through the fabric of life like a glimmering golden thread. It's there, I promise. Just look and then keep on looking. And when you find it, don't let go.
Love always,
Mom
Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li2hddmy63U "How can I keep from singing" by Audrey Assad
Psalm 139:7-12
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
Psalm 139:7-12
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
