Thanksgiving

Four years ago it was Thanksgiving Day.

And I was thankful.

I was thankful that my sister's first son was born, a thanksgiving baby whose traumatic but triumphant entrance into this world left us all with much to be thankful for.

I was thankful for our first home, which we had closed on just the day before.  A home whose bare walls whispered promises of the most important moments of my life I knew it would usher in.

I was thankful for family, health, love, and friendship.

I was so very thankful.

But what I didn't know, as I stood in the dark basement, phone in hand after just sharing in the raw and beautiful first moments of my sister's motherhood glory, overcome with tears of thankfulness at the fullness and beauty of life, was that there was so much more for me to be thankful for.

Like the little baby, just a few hours old, also born on my Thanksgiving just a world away, who would be one of the brightest lights of my life.

I didn't know it yet, but I was thankful for the young woman who was selfless enough to put her baby ahead of herself for 9 long months.  I was thankful for the foster family who would shortly take that baby into their home and raise him to know love and comfort and family.  I was thankful for the agency who would provide for that baby until offering us the biggest honor of our lives....to be his parents.

But most of all, I was thankful for that boy.  That tiny, soft bundle of life whose spirit could not be contained by body or mind. He's left a mark on everyone he meets. He's made the world a better place in his 4 short years on this earth, but in my world, in my life, he's rocked it to the core.  He is, quite simply, perfection, vintage 2007.  And I get the honor of being a part of that, of loving him as only a mama can.

So although his birthday doesn't always fall on Thanksgiving Day, in my heart, it will always be a day of true thanksgiving.

So very blessed. So very thankful.

I love you, Little Bug.  Happy birthday.