Bachelor again, sort of...

I've enjoyed a week of solitude & sobriety as my whole family was in NC seeing grandma...and I was left to hold down the fort. I ran around in my boxers, flushed the toilet only once, and ate directly out of the cereal box.

And I also paused by the doors of the 2 bedrooms where my 2 boys would normally be sleeping at night.

I also got into a king-sized bed that would normally be "pre-warmed" by my wife.

Yes, I enjoy returning to the bachelor life occasionally. But I would never want to go back to it permanently.

I read today that a dear friend of mine has experienced the tragedy of watching his infant grandson--just days old & suffering from heart & lung complications--pass away. Granted, there has been a huge void in the house with the absence of children's voices but I cannot fathom what my life would be like if it were like that permanently.

I recently read an email article from AllProDad.com about recognizing the miracle. It read:

Have your kids been getting on your nerves lately? Sometimes it’s helpful to step back and realize what a miracle they truly are. Once they were smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Now they’re on a one-way locomotive towards adulthood and I only have a few precious years left with them. The time is short – too short to always be annoyed with their antics. Recognize one of the greatest miracles is who you tuck into bed every night.

My 2 boys know all too well the buttons they can push to get a rise out of me or my wife. And they do it with glee. But there's never a time I don't stop & think how blessed I've been from God that they are healthy & happy. And I've never stopped being utterly amazed at how precious life itself can be.