Psalm 25: 1-5

December 4th
I love Dr. Seuss all year ’round, but something about having the Grinch on TV a few nights ago made me realize that Christmas is a Dr. Seuss kind of time…of his many, many wise and prophetic statements, this is one of my very, very favorites:

Aren’t we so stinkin’ lucky?  We can be anything we choose to be – a student or teacher, a doctor or nurse, a lawyer or coach.  Even a half crazy, PTA-playing, community serving, kid cheering, homework checking, laundry doing, pet tending, house repairing, bill paying, Zumba dancing, spouse supporting, cooking and shopping, holiday decorating, stay-at-home-mom.  Like me 😉

What do you choose today?  Happy, happy, happiness?
I do.  I tell my kids every morning to “Make it a great day!” because I believe it is our choice to enjoy our next 14 hours before climbing back into bed tonight.  Don’t get me wrong, I get stressed, worried, anxious, and down, but I LIKE to be flexible, energetic, creative, and up.  I like to be an improver and a problem solver.  And (obviously) I like to be a sharer. I like to be a giver.
This morning, Miss Snow chose hot chocolate with marshmallows for the kids’ breakfast…



Maybe not the most nutritious nor traditional of drinks to start the 9 hour school day, but a fun choice none-the-less.  I chose what to pack in their lunches (and made an effort to redeem the high sugar content breakfast), and I’ll choose what we have for dinner tonight.  Angel Girl asks me to pick out her clothes each morning (I told you she was very easy going!), and SonShine has just this year began selecting his the night before.  The schools determine their daytime schedules and sports determine their evenings.  Coach’s ballgames, recruiting trips, and work hours often set the tone for our weekends.
So, when do my kids get a choice?  And if they don’t get very many, how do they learn to make good ones?  I don’t have a great answer to that, but I know I’ve been wishing, hoping, and praying for their choices since they arrived on the scene.  In fact, from the time SonShine was born, I sang to him my own version of a famous song:

• You are my SonShine, my only SonShine.
• You make me happy when skies are grey.
• You’ll never know dear how much I love you.
• Please don’t take my SonShine away.
• The other day dear while you were sleeping,
• I crept inside your room to pray
• That the Lord would keep you safe
• And guide you ‘long your way.

Oh, I love that boy!  I’m so proud of the choices he makes every single day.  He may not choose his breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  He may not get a say in how his days and evenings are spent while at school or practice.  But he does choose who is going to be.  He chooses to be a good friend, a hard working student, a supportive big brother, a loving pet owner, and one truly incredible son.  Of course, he also chooses to eat a full bag of Doritos and 8 Oreos for a snack.  He often chooses to leave his bathroom counter completely cluttered of junk and dirty clothes on his floor.  He even selects to stay up too late watching ESPN or movies with Coach every chance he gets.

All-in-all, I think SonShine is choosing a pretty great path.  Miss Snow’s verse for the day refers to the paths we choose, the learning and growing that takes place along the way, and the truths that our choices reveal:


Enjoy your path today, embrace your journey, and know that tomorrow provides a whole new set of choices so that you can steer yourself in any direction you choose…