The Bigger Things

Today is a chilly day in the Inland Empire. This is the kind of winter that I can handle. Yesterday it was pouring down rain which is fine when you're curled up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate or laying in bed with the one you love just hanging out and listening to the rain. Unfortunately I was at work through all the rain and driving through it to get home when it seemed to be at its worst-I hate driving in the rain. Today when I walked Miji to his car and the wind was blowing through my hair and I was marveling at the beautiful weather, I stood there in my front yard taking in everything that I have to be grateful for. I watched Miji drive down the street and thought to myself how very lucky I am to have this man in my life. This man has come into my life and turned my world around. Since I have met him I have become a better person and everybody sees it. I can't wait to go to bed each night so he can wrap his arms around me like he does and in the morning I get to wake up beside him. It's one of the best feelings in the world to feel so loved. I looked at the Honda that used to be mine that my son now has and is putting a lot of time into. Yesterday he got the windows tinted and it made him happy. It made me smile and I think about how happy he is and has been. Two years ago at this time he still had one of his closest friends in his life but then suddenly lost him in a tragic accident. My son could have been in that vehicle that day but I told him he couldn't go. I think about it often and I thank God each time. Anthony has come a long way from that dark time after he lost his friend and was so sad for a really long time. Add to that my divorce from his dad and the transition of moving in to a totally different environment. He has come a long way and sort of grown up. He is 19 years old, graduated from high school, has a good job and he is looking forward to his future with his fiancee. He has a pretty good head on his shoulders and knows right from wrong. He is still my little boy in my eyes but I know as he gets older and time goes by he is going to grow up to be something great, he already is to me. I walked back into my house and sat in my room listening to my daughter talk to her friend on speakerphone-I am proud of this one as well. We just found out last week that her grades are the best they have been since she started high school. Teenagers these days tend to slip up on their grades. This year I sent her to a different school to get caught up on credits and get back on track and she has made me proud. She has also come a long way. I remember a time when she would sleep with me in my room the year before I filed for the divorce when my ex and I slept in separate rooms. We really bonded during this time and she was my little rock when times were bad. She protected me in a sense and whenever an argument would start between her dad and I back then she would try to diffuse the situation. She is like me in so many ways and she has blossomed into this beautiful young lady. It is hard to believe she will be an adult two days before my wedding-she has grown so fast. I see shows on TV where girls younger than she is already have had kids at that young age and I am thankful that that is not her because I know she has her whole life ahead of her to plan her way. Miji always tells me that I have done a good job considering all that we have had to go through to get to this point. Things could have gone differently but they have gone all according to God's great plan. I have come to realize that the secret to being happy in your life is being grateful for what you have without wanting more and I can honestly say I truly understand that right now at this point in my life. Sometimes you have to realize that the little things that make you smile really are the bigger things.