Being Appreciative

I dated a lot in my day.  And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!  I was the queen of online dating.  A walking match.com ad.  I can't even tell you how many men I met and fretted over.  Do they like me?  How do I make them like me?  Do I care if this one likes me? Will he call?  Why didn't he call?  Will I ever meet the right guy?  Being lonely sucks!  When I would complain about being lonely, my married friends would chime in and tell me that marriage isn't all that it's cracked up to be.  They would complain about their husbands being unavailable, or too available.  They complained about toothpaste in sinks and clothes left on the floor.  As if those sorts of problems would make my date nights with Ben and Jerry much less sad and much more triumphant.  I never understood what my married friends were trying to do and I still don't.  I'm glad to see dishes in the sink and not the dishwasher.  The fact that there are little crappies left on every flat surface of this house is just another reminder that there is someone in my house that I am happily sharing my life with.  Don't get me wrong, there are little habits that annoy the crap out of me, but it certainly isn't worth being all too bothered over.  The pros for sure outweigh the cons.  I guess working so hard to find Mr. Right helps me appreciate him more.

I am confident that I will have the same appreciation for my child.  I know that it will never be an easy road, but this child is so severely wanted that we will always appreciate the gift of a child.

Today I heard a father complain about his deaf child's speech being embarrassing to him.  He said he could have better conversations with his dog and that the speech therapy he'd paid for was not turning out to be a good investment.  My heart broke for this beautiful, snugly, smart, charming little munchkin.  I can't imagine how you wouldn't be so thankful for a beautiful gift.  They chose to adopt her knowing of her hearing loss and yet they call her an embarrassment.  I fail to even remotely comprehend that.