His Purpose Prevails

  I spent almost ten months saying goodbye to One. My firstborn is no longer my only son, but my Number One. In isolation my husband and I experienced many of his firsts. With struggles and fears we endured scary moments. With laughter and tears we enjoyed his babyhood and greeted his boyhood and now look ahead to the delightful and difficult phases to come. And now we say hello to Two. This phase of life, for us as parents, is relentless. I forget important things every day. More food goes bad in the fridge. Bills pile up. Friends’ texts go unanswered, sometimes for weeks. At the end of each day, hours after the sun has gone down, if we’re lucky, my husband and I get a few moments to speak with each other and loosen our shoulders. If we’re unlucky, well, even that is impossible. But when Two coos at me or One bursts into that uproarious toddler laugh, the lonely nighttime tears feel less dark. When Two smiles wide with milk dribbling down his chin or One tells me a story about his toy