I totally forgot yesterday was Friday. The time is flying by so quickly, it just totally snuck up on me. I went to the mall Thursday with my bonus-daughter, two of my bonus-granddaughters, and the three babies. We had lunch and when we were finished, I asked one to take my picture with the three babies on my lap.

As I look at this, I think of my own grandma and how she looked when I placed her first great-grandchild in her arms. Her hair was gray like mine. She had the same lines on her face…the tangible evidence of all the smiles her family brought her. I couldn’t remember how old she was at the time. Grandmas are timeless, aren’t they? She was 68 when her first great-granddaughter was born. I was 64. I’m now 66 with three babies…a 2-year-old girl, a 6-month-old boy, and the newest little guy was just 2 weeks old on Thursday.

I don’t show my families’ faces in focus…especially the littles. But this gives you the idea. There’s so much love and joy in this photo. When I look at this, my heart swells with every good emotion. When I think of where I was two decades ago, and where I am now…it’s like looking at the lives of two different women. And, I suppose that’s just what it is.

We go through phases in our lives. We experience great joys and we endure great sorrows. I am so incredibly grateful for where I am today. Every baby is a gift from God.

I have people I love very much who are experiencing the loss of their own children and my heart breaks for them. There’s nothing like grief to make you fully present in the loss of a loved one. And fully empathetic with another’s pain. No one can imagine that kind of loss unless it happens to them.

My prayers are for these mamas and grandmas. And for these babies.

❤️?❤️

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James 1:17 ESV