A Special Gift

My niece celebrated her wedding anniversary the other day. She has been married for six years and is happy and content being a new mom. Her son will be one in June. I’m so proud of her, she loves being a stay at home mom, and she is so good at it. She has had her fair share of struggles, but counts herself very blessed and truly loves her life. So many people get so caught up in looking for the next thing in life; they forget to see what is right in front of them. I am so glad life is good for her now and that she is smart enough to realize it and be thankful. Looking back at her wedding, I always remember the gift she gave me. When she called to tell me she was engaged, she said she wanted all three of my kids to be in her wedding. I was very surprised. First, Ashley with severe autism, then there was the fact that my children are all ridiculously hyper, and they were young. At the time of the wedding Ashley was five, Hailey was three, and Josh was 21 months old. I was excited, but scared; we had a lot of issues to get past. My niece helped ease my worry, by telling me they could wear whatever I wanted and that she didn’t care if we had to throw them all into a wagon and wheel them down the aisle, she just wanted them to be a part of her wedding. So I got to pick out wonderful dress clothes for them, and Ashley and Hailey made beautiful flower girls, and Josh got to be a very cute, very young ring bearer. They all actually did pretty well. Ashley did a great job, Hailey was a little mouthy, but made it, and Josh was wild, but played his part. And so because my niece was willing to share her big day, my children and I got the opportunity to do something special that isn’t always offered to children with special needs. As a parent, I considered her acceptance and unconditional love of my kids, at such a big event in her life, as a wonderful gift I will always treasure. She is a wonderful and selfless woman, I’m so glad I got to be her aunt! Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Originally posted May 2011