Precious Moments

I must admit, much of life slips by without my notice, without me capturing each special, tender moment. However, this morning something happened, something so simple, and yet so profound, that it stopped me in my tracks for just a sliver of time. As I was tying my little brother's shoes, getting him ready for church, I was floored by how adorable and grown up he looked. I gazed into his eyes, and whispered "I love you!". Nothing could have prepared me for what came next. Slowly, deliberately, in his sweet little voice, he grasped for the words and found them. And he said, ever so carefully "Wuv you too!" It made me want to smile and laugh all at the same time...this boy that I held and rocked for hours, praying that he could stay with our family where he'd be safe, this boy that I begged God for his breath before he was even born. This boy, who has come through many challenges, survived after birth against all odds of the drugs, smoke, and abuse of his biological mother. This boy, that we fought to adopt for two years after he came to us from the hospital at seven days old. This boy, that I spent hours singing "One more Day" too- begging that he would not be torn from our arms by the cruelties of bureaucracy. This boy, he loves me! That to me, is more precious than anything money could buy, more precious than a thousand meaningless "I love you"s from those who didn't really care. It's moments like these that make you realize how precious time really is.