Gifts

This is my favorite picture from Saturday. Saturday was my Clara's day for gifts. Her party was scheduled...and the preparations had been hectic, thanks to my little toe breaking episode. We were expecting guests, so much had to be done...and I had fallen into bed late and exhausted Friday night. At 6:00 a.m., the phone rang. It was the hospital with a family who would like to have pictures done of their angel. Inwardly, I groaned. I was SO sleepy and SO tired, not to mention barely walking thanks to the toe. I took the information and let them know we would have someone there as soon as we could. I had every intention of calling someone else to handle this one. I was, after all, tired. And half cripple. AND...I had a million things to do to get ready to celebrate my daughters 5th birthday. So I hopped back into bed intending to snooze just a bit more and then get someone right on that call. Only...no snooze ever came. I lay there thinking about that family. And how they must be feeling right then. And I realized that they would never have a birthday to celebrate with their little girl, like I did. That amidst all of the celebration at my house that day, mommies and their little girls would be oblivious to this poor family across town grieving the loss of their own baby girl. And so I couldn't lay there a second longer. I limped myself into the shower and down to the hospital. I was slow, but I made it. And I found just the sweetest little family there. A family who was sitting there holding this sweet angel of a baby who had never taken a breath. And I was just struck, once again, by how fortunate I am and how blessed. And I worked that session and made sure to create the sweetest, girliest, lovliest pictures that I could for these parents...all the while thinking of my own sweet baby girl at home. And when I walked back into my house after that shoot...my precious little one ran and leaped into my arms singing out that "Here's your birthday girl, mama!" And even though it was definitely her day for gifts...I knew without a doubt that I had received the biggest one by far. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord for these opportunities where I am reminded just how awesome you are, and how richly I am blessed. Thank you for my own little girl and for the gift of knowing how fortunate I am to have her. Thank you for your many gifts, Lord. Thank you.