My oldest daughter turned 41 yesterday. Seriously? How did she get older than me? Honestly, I feel 35 inside most of the time…like I’m in some kind of time warp. The years whip by at a dizzying pace, but my perceived age remains the same. I look at my hands when arthritis makes my joints ache and wonder what could have happened to them. I look at the lines on my face in photographs and wonder when I became my grandma. I distinctly remember what it felt like to kiss her cheeks…how safe it made me feel. And it makes me smile in wonder that my grandchildren may feel the same when they kiss mine.

Life is a quilt. It tears us into the smallest of pieces sometimes. But, the most valuable quilts are those made with the most intricate patterns. The end result is totally dependent on how much hard work you’re willing to put into it, isn’t it?

Happy birthday, dear girl. Thank you for changing my name to “Mom”.

❤

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.”

Psalm 127:3-4