Thankful Thursday...a day late...

This week I am grateful for:

Life. A beautiful mother I never had the chance to met in real life passed away this week from cancer. She was a member of an on-line Infertility support group I frequent. Her story really touched me. She was a teacher. She was a mother to 3 IVF miracles....triplets born 1 year ago today...2 boys and a girl. She lived in a beautiful house, had a supportive husband, a loving family, and many, many friends. She was too young. No child should ever be left without a mother.

This week I had quite a few times when I felt overwhelmed by trying to balance working and mothering. I worried after Sara's well baby appointment, I felt inadequate after I grew frustrated at a work project I couldn't get just right and needed to leave unfinished so I could race home to spend some time with Sara before bed, I felt deep sadness after I dropped off Sara off at school and she cried when I left. Am I doing enough, giving Sara the exposure to art, books, and stimulating her developing mind? Can I really balance a demanding job while being the mother I want to be? Do I have what it takes to make good decisions, and help Sara learn how to make them also?

And then I am reminded that this-whatever this holds- is life. Every day is precious whether it is spent with tissues, with preoccupation, with frustration, with sadness. I get to experience it all-I get to figure it out, day by day, hour by hour. I get to see Sara grow up, I get to cram a 60-hour work week into 40-50 hours until my brain feels jumbled. I get to make endless lists, I get to drop Sara off at school, I get to work through hard days.

What would so many trade for just one more day whether it was hard or easy, happy or sad?

So this is what I am grateful for this week: every day I get to spend on earth.
Life is precious.