Day 344- My sunshine

Today is my baby's second birthday. Just when I thought that I was done having kids, God put a longing in my heart for another one. It was intense. When he came he instantly spread joy into my life. His birth was right between my being laid off and Mark being laid off, but it was perfect timing.

On every birthday I write my kids a letter. I type it, print it, and seal it in an envelope for a day in the future. They are really love notes with a little bit of history in them. As I was writing his today, I told him the song I sing to him, "You are My Sunshine." It's his song, each of my kids have one. When times were the hardest this year, I would cry singing him to sleep. He does make me happy "when skies are gray." On those gray days I was always reminded that just having my kids was more of a gift and the only thing that really matters in life, far more than money.

Tonight I realized that my sweet boy is my sunshine, God gifted him to us when He knew we would need the most joy in our lives. He is the essence of joy. On the days when I didn't want to get out of bed, my sweet baby needed me, and that smile of his literally made me happy. All of my kids' sweet smiles make me happy every day. Tonight, I realized that my ray of sunshine in all of the darkness was having this precious bundle of joy. He is a sign that God is good in all circumstances. While I was losing my identity, I was gaining love. God put it in my heart to give him that song, so that I could remind myself on the worst days, that sunshine does not comes from things. You can take every material possession away from me, but please, "don't take my sunshine away." Love outlasts everything and true joy comes from loving others.

My cup runneth over.