Life Is Good

Yesterday afternoon I drove a minivan full of excited 4-year-olds to a birthday party. As I listened to the giggling and crazy conversations that only little kids understand, I thought to myself I love this. I know minivans and tons of kids and silly jokes are certainly not everybody's idea of a good time, but to me, I've wanted this my whole life. I feel like we've entered a new age - the era of carpools, parent-teacher conferences, little helpers in the backyard, volunteering at school, drop off play dates with kids you know so well they are practically part of the family. Ballet recitals and soccer games. Going out to dinner is easy, getting things done around the house is (sometimes) easy, traveling is easier. I've got my own life.

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At the prompting of Meg and Erin (btw, I love how the Internet can connect old and new friends) I've been reading this blog lately, and I've been so inspired by the writer. She is so optimistic, so grateful, so determined to find the good and let go of the bad. It's really reminded me how very lucky I am. I have an amazing husband. I have two beautiful, healthy children. My life is full of good friends and family. I live in an idyllic community. My hard working husband supports our family so that I can be a stay-at-home mom and not miss a minute. I'm living the life I always dreamed of.

I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say here, and why I feel the need to say it out loud on the Internet. It feels like we are right on the verge of leaving the baby days behind and moving into the little kid world. I'm feeling so torn about probably being done with that special time in our lives, even though I'm really, really enjoying where we are now. As we move forward, I want to fill my heart and mind not with regret or longing for what is past, but joy for the many gifts and pleasures of right now. Because there really is so much joy. And at the same time, I want to make sure that when we leave this time behind us, because someday we will, I'll have no regrets. I will have enjoyed it to it's fullest. I will have had tea parties, and cheered at t-ball games, and made cookies, and soaked up every bit of wonderful-ness that comes from having small children in the house. I will spend less time worrying about laundry and clean kitchen floors and running errands. And I will have appreciated how truly lucky and blessed my life is.