gift

She came in December but we call her May. She is an old soul in the bloom of her youth. To meet her is to love her. She is a walking miracle, a true gift from above.

When she was not quite able to walk, she discovered a colorful surprise under the kitchen table of my parent’s home-- a small, round, blue object that looked a great deal like a piece of candy. Unbeknownst to me, she bit into it, spit out the casing, but not before the powerful liquid inside had entered into her tiny mouth and caused her blood pressure to begin to plummet. Unaware of what had taken place, I laid her down for a nap and began busily packing our family’s bags for our return flight home from Texas. When it came time to go, I went to retrieve her from her crib only to find her deathly white, limp and unconscious.

We rushed her to the emergency room a few blocks away where they immediately began life saving measures. To my horror, when they hooked her up to the machinery, her pulse was so faint it was almost undetectable.

I began to pray like I had never prayed before.

At that moment, like no other, I realized that my children do not belong to me, but are only my “borrowed children”, gifts... ones lent to me from God. And He could, at any time, call them home to Himself. I asked God to please allow her to live, to give me the grace and honor of raising her, to not take this precious gift from me, but to let her come back to us and live a long, happy, faithful and healthy life.

We waited. It was excruciating.

Slowly, slowly slowly her little pulse began to get stronger and stronger. They said she had “bottomed out” and that she was on her way back (“from where?” I thought.) We held our breath until the color started to return to her face and her eyes began to flutter.

My gift. I not only was given the joy of bringing her home from the hospital once...but thankfully twice.

She began to grow, just like other children, but there was always something a little “out of this world” about May. When she was about two, she began to come down very early in the morning and sit in my lap as I said my daily prayers. She would help me light my candles and loved placing her hands inside of mine-- palms down and then up--and then she woud blow out the candles when we were all done and trace the smoke with her delicate fingers rising up, up, up to heaven...just like our prayers.

People often describe May as an “angel". I think they might just be right. This past Friday she graduated with honors as president of her high school. Who says “nice guys always finish last?”

Pray for and with your kids...every day. Hold them close and thank God for them. They are only yours for a moment...but His for all eternity.

God bless you May--and thank You God, for the second chance to be her “borrowed Mom.”

Children are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Psalm 127:3

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the gift of our “borrowed children.” May we be mindful that they are only ours for a very short while, and that our job is to introduce them to You...to prepare them for all eternity. May we never grow weary of praying for them and doing good for them-- no matter their age. Please fill us with strength, fortitude and love. And fill our children with a desire to want to know You more each day, by putting Your love in their hearts and giving them a desire to want to read Your word, pray and unite with You through the sacraments. May we always be godly, loving examples for them to follow so that if some day, they are blessed to be gifted with children of their own, they will have fond memories and strong foundations from which to build.

We ask all of this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.