Went to my five youngest siblings' swim meet this morning and cheered them on (my youngest sister's valiant attempts at the butterfly stroke were precious), then took advantage of the mild weather to go mountain biking with my dad, and for the first time that I can remember, came home without a major injury. Muddy and exhausted, but not broken! (Which reminds me that my two broken toes aren't completely healed from trying to do a backflip off of my door frame last week...I should probably tape them up again...)
The rest of the night was spent watching Dolphin Tale (GOOD movie! One of the few that I can actually recommend as family-friendly), making popcorn, watching my brother distend his mouth in an unhumanly large "O" shape as my mom tossed him Trader Joes Scottie Licorice Dogs from across the room, and telling each other funny stories until late into the night.
The older I become, the more I realize what a privilege it is to have the family that I do. We're all crazy, and have our own quirks and issues, but we love each other deeply, and my parents' commitment to build a household of faith has kept us together over the years. By God's grace of course. So many of my friends have siblings that they don't talk to because they can't stand each other, and parents who are separated or divorced. Sitting with both of my parents and the oldest three of my siblings tonight, I offered a quick prayer of thanks to the Lord for this life He's given me. I'm not denying that there are times when I want to scream at the top of my lungs because of something that's driving me crazy at the moment, but no matter how irritated I am or how fed up I am with this or that, I know that I still wouldn't trade my family for any other. I know few other people who can say that they've had the opportunities that I have: helping my little sister with her phonics lesson, teaching another sister how to sew, playing airsoft with my brothers (and enjoying it!), reading stories and saying prayers with the three youngest, and remembering when each of my siblings was born. And changing their diapers. And feeding them. And rocking them to sleep. Those are just some of my memories over the years.
I'm falling asleep tonight feeling very lucky, knowing that "luck" really has nothing to do with it at all. It's all been by design. And that's amazing to me.
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