Nella

I am a mother of six children. Sometimes I ask myself, "why the heck did I do this... what was I thinking??" My children are the ones who wore the hand-me-down clothes, drove around in the old blue station wagon, and never had their own rooms. There were always dirty dishes in the sink, clothes spilling out of hampers, some mini-crisis every hour, sibling squabbles, and dogs barking. But our home was where the neighborhood children would come because their homes were empty. At our house there was always someone to talk to them, someone to laugh with them, someone to feed them. As I marvel at the awesome young adults my children have become, I can see that their peers still gravitate towards them. My children are the ones who know how to mediate, who know to tolerate, who know how to sacrifice, who know how to compromise. They are the ones who know the value of hard work and team work. They appreciate much and covet nothing. They are honest, hard workers and they would give you the coat off their back if you needed it. They are productive, income earning, college graduates and college bound individuals who have much to offer this world. They will be paying into social security so that each of you will have something to live on in your old age. I wish everyone could experience the joy of Christmas morning with a house filled with giggles and laughter. I can't imagine life any other way. (And if my children heard you call me a "religious fanatic" it would give them a good chuckle!) Peace.