I almost cannot stand the excitement.
I always love the night before a big event. Often, I actually like it more than the actual event. I usually like rehearsal dinners better than most weddings, and Christmas Eve, while not quite as great as Christmas, comes in a pretty close second.
I guess I just love the anticipation. Once the day is here, the excitement often takes over, and we are left inebriated in an excitement-filled haze.
Today is no exception. The girls’ excitement was nearly palpable. All day long Magoo kept telling me that she wanted it to be nighttime so she could go to bed and wait for the Easter Bunny. Goosie has no real idea of what is going on, but she knows it’s exciting, and she upped her energy level to match that excitement. Mae unfortunately is a bit under the weather, but she still managed to get in some grins.
We were sitting around the dinner table tonight, and before we said “Grace” we decided to all say what we are grateful for. Magoo said the poor because she always says the poor — whether we are praying in petition or in gratitude, it’s always, always the poor. Goosie said she is grateful for Easter. And when it came to me, I had to pass because I was all choked up. I couldn’t get the words out.
What I wanted to say was “THIS.” This is what I am and will forever be grateful for. The noise and the chaos and the overstimulation and the exhaustion and the frustration and the very, very large personalities that fill up every corner of our poor little house.
I flashed back ten years. I flashed back to wanting to have children so desperately and never knowing if we would ever experience have them. Never knowing if parenthood would ever come to us. And now the experience is just so much. So much joy and love and laughter and promise and comfort and… life. Just so much life goes on within these four walls of our home.
And so tonight, my gratitude goes out for tonight and for all the other nights that have allowed me to live my dream. I hope that you are living yours as well.
God bless you all and have a great Easter.
