Forty-Four

Today was my birthday. I had a few moments to myself this afternoon to think about how far away 40 seemed when I was twenty-one. Like eternity. My guess is that when I turn 65 in twenty more years, I'll have cruised around that corner much faster than I did the last one.

This past year has been a season of growing for me. It seems the more I can look at my past and appreciate that growth, the more I can look into my future and see how much more growing I have to do, how much more growing I need to do. I'm only just beginning to grasp the value and urgency in making every single day fruitful. Every day matters and every hour must count. These are the words I'm striving to live by.

My children have taught me more about myself in the past five years than I'd ever readily admit. But it's through them that I've come to see firsthand who I really am...a woman striving for excellence in the midst of a sinful nature. But they love me, regardless, simply because I am their mother. I love them because they have brought purpose to my life; they make me want to be better tomorrow than I was today.













Their love is a constant reminder to me of all that is good in the world.













On my birthday...or any day.