Day 21: The gift of children

Guest blogger: My friend MaDihaMany of my friends don't have children. Some of them often ask, "Did you always want to be a mom?" It's an interesting question, one to which my response is simple, and honest. And it's always a "no". I think growing up, I liked kids, but somehow never imagined having children of my own. It's not that I disliked children, or that I thought being a mom would be "uncool". I just never thought about it. I was too busy "growing up".Then when my husband and I got married, we wanted to wait a few years before starting a family because we wanted to enjoy our lives, get to know each other better, and so on. Four and a half years into our marriage, we were expecting our first and were thrilled! But nearly 13 weeks into the pregnancy, during a routine exam, we found that I'd had a "missed miscarriage". These are fairly common, but it was still devastating for both of us. But through my grieving I finally realized, I wanted to be a mom, badly.The following year, Allah blessed us with the most precious baby girl we could have asked for. Despite the challenges associated with parenting, I am always mindful of thanking Allah for this amazing blessing. We thought we were fortunate as could be that we had a daughter, when last Ramadan, we found out we were expecting again. And this time, it was TWINS! We were surprised (and still are!) and often ask ourselves, "Two? How did we end up having twins?" After having asked myself that question multiple times, I think I've found the most fitting answer. I think it's because Allah wanted to make up for the one we lost. It may not be the most logical answer, but it's the one I'm choosing to believe. I think He also wanted us (mostly me), to appreciate the gift of children.Children are a blessing. They enrich our lives; teach us to be curious, to explore the world with an open mind, to grow; remind us to be carefree and to live life to the fullest, in the moment. I am grateful for many, many things. But today, I'm thankful to the Almighty for my three beautiful children.Day 21; Gratitude 21: ChildrenIn the last post when I invited others to submit a gratitude, my friend MaDiha was the the first to respond. She sent this heartfelt post last night, saying "this was a toughie, but comes from the heart."   Thank you MaDiha for your honesty, and for expressing so beautifully for all of us the incredible blessing that our children are to us.