It's a beautiful day and I'm getting a later start than usual to my blog. Had a laundry list of things to catch up on at home, but chose instead to spend my time with someone who needed me. And it was a great day. I wish all days could be like this.
Jake is turning 11 this week, which has been making me think about him and the unique things that makes him so very amazing. The number 11 not only represents how old he is, but also something special that he shares with me.
Jake likes to watch the clock on the weekends he is with me and wait for it to turn to 11:11. Then he shouts out "11:11 Mom, make a wish!" Words can't describe the smile and pure happiness on his face when he actually catches it at just the right minute. And then we make a wish. He never tells me what it is, because of course, then it wouldn't come true. But I know it's always something good.
I wish for a lot of things in those moments. More than a few of them are for time to slow down, for the kids to stop growing so fast, or for people we love to stop leaving us before we are done loving them. There are just so many things to wish for, and so few 11:11 moments in our lives.
I would like to share a few of the wishes I would wish if I had all the wishes I could ever wish (think I'm channeling Dr. Seuss a bit here, but you know what I mean).
I wish for you to have just enough struggle to appreciate the good times.
I wish for you to have people to love and care for, and for people to love and care for you.
I wish for you to have children who challenge you and teach you things you would never have otherwise learned.
I wish for you to have enough money to be financially stable, but not too much that it makes you forget how to be real.
I wish for you to find a partner in your life who makes you laugh, loves your smile, and wants to watch the sunset with you.
I wish for you to know yourself well enough to ask for what you what, even when it's incredibly scary to do it.
I wish for you to have the courage to do the hard things that make your life more meaningful.
I wish for you to grow and change and become a better you with every new experience and choice you make in life.
That last wish I think is the most important, and it truly is the essence of my blog. We are the sum of our choices, and in full control of how we handle every situation and what we take away from it. Our wishes will never all come true, and sometimes the things we wish for will bring us more pain than joy.
But, if we wish carefully, and we approach life realistically, in so many ways, those wishes can come true. And they will make our lives better, if we choose for them to do so.
Enjoy your Sunday friends - it's a beautiful evening!