Weekly Gratitude...

Unbidden joy. Rainee is always putting something in a box as a little gift for mommy... sometimes it's... little stuffed puppies... rocks... marbles... dirt (when we're outside)... flower petals ... play forks and spoons... cut up pieces of paper (which I now know are pieces of her heart)... scribbled notes with hearts... and coloring book pages colored with all her heart. She says giving them to me brings her joy and fills heart with love.

All those little tid-bits put in a box are better then any expensive present I could ever receive... because they were chosen or made with love for me. To see the unbidden joy in them... gives me immeasurable pleasure.... something a store bought trinket could never be compared with. I'll take these little surprises every day I can get them, because I know as she grows older they will likely be replaced with the real presents... and although I will love them (because they are from her)... they will never compare to the unbidden joy of a little box filled with secret surprises.

I'm blessed to have a child with such an enormous heart. I am grateful for the joy I see on her face as she hands me another little something... and the look in her eyes to see if I like it... I am grateful for all the little treasures she picks just for me. I am blessed with unbidden joy... and I'm grateful.