A Cherry On Top

When I was a little girl I would spend countless hours playing dress up in my mom's beautiful church dresses. I would put on her clothes, find a matching pair of high heels (a pair that made the lovely click-click sound when I walked) and I would play "house". Sometimes all day.

I loved make believe play. That's probably why I enjoy stories so much. I am fully able to immerse myself in some other reality, to whisk my mind to another time and place. I had lots of practice growing up.

I knew from a very young age that the single most important thing I wanted to accomplish was to have a family. I praise God that He allowed that to be my path and even better, that I still receive so much joy from being a wife and mom.

On some days, the reality of my fulfilled dreams is so heightened that I go through my day loving the silliest of tasks. Something like packing my son's snack or finding my daughter's ballet tights or washing peanut butter and jelly off my little ones face brings me to a moment of thankfulness to my Lord that I get to do what I love. I get to play house every day.

Please don't misunderstand...I don't have this "feeling" all the time and we, just like every other family, have those days that you just want to pretend never happened. But when I'm able to step back and see my blessings, I'm able to praise God for the simple things in life.

My writing feels like the cherry on top of an already perfectly piled ice cream sundae. A sundae that has all vanilla ice cream smothered in too much hot fudge with just a bit of whipped cream...and no nuts. That sundae is perfectly created without the cherry but ohh, when that sweet, red cherry is lovingly placed on top, I know that I serve a God who gives us immeasurably more than anything we can ever think or even imagine.

My writing is extra. It's something that I enjoy doing and I probably always will. I'll always strive to learn all I can and push on toward the dream of publication. But I'm already living my dream, the dream God seared on my heart when I was only six.

Are you living your dream? When do you experience moments of complete satisfaction and joy in your life?