Little Victories

I am well aware that there are people in this world whose lives are a lot harder than mine. There is so much tragedy and heartbreak out there- wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, floods, and more- and my prayers are daily lifted up for those people in desperate need of God’s awesome love. In the grand scheme of things, my problems are nothing.

But it’s also clear that though my life could be harder, it could also be easier.  My life is no walk in the park. Our little family of Js is going through an intense transitional period, full of frustrations and disappointments. At the end of each challenging day, James and I often exchange our feelings of defeat.

At such times, it is important…no, it is vital….to recognize life’s little victories. We’ve had some really great ones in the past few days.

·         Sylvie, the goldfish, is still alive! That’s right. By some fishy miracle, she pulled herself back from the brink of death and has fully recovered from her wounds.

·         Beast is officially fully house trained! It’s been weeks since his last accident.

·         Johnny has started sleeping through the night! A well rested baby is a happy baby, and a happy baby means a happy mommy. Actually, maybe I should reverse that- a well rested mommy means a happy baby.

·         Jamie has learned to ask for a drink using big boy words, “want drink.” Actually, it sounds more like “wwwwa. dee.” But the exciting thing is to see how hard he’s trying.  

·         Josie is picking out her own outfits in the mornings and getting dressed all by herself! She is developing an encouraging independence and a unique style all her own.

·         Jenny worked up the courage to invite Kelly and her family over for dinner next week and Kelly accepted! It’s a thrill to break down that professional/ personal boundary since Kelly has been such an inspiration force in our lives. Oh, and Jenny also finished a book from beginning to end for the first time in years!

·         James was given an official homecoming date! It’s still a couple of months away, but having a number to mark on the calendar makes it so much more tangible.

They may not sound like much, but each one is an important little victory that gives us hope. We may be losing some, but we're also winning some. In spite of all our difficulty, good things are happening. Heck, in a family in which fish can come back from the dead and mute little boys can talk, anything is possible!