The Sweetest Gifts
Yesterday I turned fifty years old. That's five zero. Five decades. Gone. Just like that. My favorite pastor on the planet used to say that parenting is made up of long days and short years, and he was right. But I think life in general is, too. My husband and my girls surprised me with a sweet gathering of family and friends, and it was perhaps the best gift I've ever received. Not just the party, which made me feel like I was actually living in a Hallmark movie for a couple of hours, but the revelations that came both during and after. Let me try to explain. Last night I stepped into a room filled with people I love. Some have been with me since the beginning of my life, some since the first decade, the second, and so on. It was overwhelming and beautiful and I cried immediately. But as I stood in the doorway and glanced around the room, I realized tears were flowing because I was seeing my life in front of me. Each decade filled with a different set of joys and sorrows. Each...
