Fingerprints and Blessings

Raising kids is difficult.  Maintaining a household with kids is difficult.  Balancing work and a home life with kids is difficult.  Today, it all got a little easier.

I am a mom of a 2.5 years old little man and a 13 months old little lady.  They are awesome kids with stellar personalities.  I've always said, "I know how lucky I am".  It's one of those things I would say, but not really process.  Today, I processed it.

My patio doors are easily visible from the counter in my kitchen.  While making lunch today, I looked out and could not even see the outside --- the fingerprints were so dense!  Tiny little fingerprints, handprints and yes, a couple of mouth prints too (courtesy of my little lady).  I thought to myself, "Oh my goodness, I JUST cleaned this window yesterday and it's covered again!".   Grabbing the Windex (eek, I know, chemicals... but I like my Windex!) and paper towels, I headed to the door.

Now I'm pretty sure I clean my children's DNA off that window daily (let's not even start on about how much I vacuum), but until today, I had never thought about it.  I began to think and I began to process that statement... the statement that flies off my tongue without thought.

I am lucky to even have little fingerprints to wipe off patio doors.  I am lucky to have to vacuum crumbs off the floor three times a day!  I am lucky to pick up toys off the floor.  I am lucky to do multiple loads of laundry filled with little clothes each day.  Lucky is not even a strong enough word.  I am thankful, I am blessed, I am loved.

Too many people in this world do not have what I have.  Too many people are dealing with infertility.  I have close friends who have struggled for years trying to conceive.  Fertility drugs, IUI, IVF, miscarriages, the lot!  I have watched these friends give up, defeated by their own bodies.  I could never imagine wanting a baby so badly, trying everything to make it happen, and be forced to accept that it's never going to happen.  I cry for my friends and their struggles.  While I never personally dealt with infertility issues and was able to conceive easily both times, I know EXACTLY how lucky I am.

Today I realized I am lucky to even be able to complain about such things!  Too many people who would give anything to wipe fingerprints, vacuum constantly (seriously, it's never-ending) and to launder tiny outfits.  I need to remember this when days are tough.  I need to remind myself of the blessings I have created that cause my daily chores.  I no longer look at them as 'chores'.

I now know how lucky I am.

Sign the petition for IVF funding in Alberta HERE!

Guest post, and lucky mom of two!