Day 32

I am grateful for my Brett.

This boy (ha, he's 25!) has so many endearing qualities. He has always been an old soul, quiet in speech, but deep and imaginative in the things that matter.

I've always said that children are our greatest joys and our deepest pains. When I took two months of maternity leave, I asked for one more month because I just could not stand the thought of having to leave him. It felt like my love for him filled every chamber of my heart, and without him it could not beat. He was my first experience in mother-love, and it changed me forever.

I could (and may someday) devote a whole blog to all the things I've learned from my kids. Some of the best things I've learned from or admired about Brett are loyalty, having no regrets, choosing the harder thing, generosity, letting stuff go, and genuineness.

Twenty-five years of loving this boy only gets better. He told me after he got engaged, "This must be so great for you, to see your kids grow up and go on to live their lives." It gave me a nudge in the direction of being grateful instead of inwardly focused on how far away he lives and how little we will see him. I saw that he was right. It is great to see my kids grow up and live full, purposeful lives. He also told me once that I was born to be a mom. It has been my highest privilege, and I give thanks for the one who was the first to grant me that title and role.

Thank You, Lord for my "Joey."