Children --- they transform our lives.

Live with children long enough and beauty, love, innocence, play, pain and even death — everything appears in a new light.

If I look beyond the 18 thousand diapers and bottles and tantrums and no sleep .... Having children has been one of the most gratifying transforming experiences in my life, completely changing the way I view the world. I don't know about you, but our children have the ability to turn our lives upside down, to disrupt our plans [and our sleep!], to try our patience, and to elicit our most ferocious love. But our children also have the power to transform and teach us the greatest lessons we'll ever learn. . . . So far, for me, each everyday hands-on moment of parenting, no matter how trivial or challenging, holds hidden surprises and opportunities for change. No I usually don't see this except for hind-sight, and do I occassionally lose it? [Of course I do] But I'm noticing nothing is commonplace to a child. Everything is vital and interesting. Through their honest hearts and open minds [and if we let them] our children can help us to reconnect with our own innocence . . . cultivate patience and gratitude . . . live more spontaneously . . . rediscover the pleasures of play. . . be profoundly present in our relationships . . . and, ultimately, become better parents and happier people. [yikes, no pressure!] Once we take our children's hands, they will lead us to a place where we are more in touch with the many blessings in our lives. For what it's worth --- that's how I feel today at this very sleep deprived moment. ha ha.