Military deployments? Curveball. Reunion vacations? Bonus.
Job loss? Curveball. New opportunities? Bonus.
Moving far away from friends and family? Curveball. Meeting people you can't imagine life without? Bonus.
When I really put some thought into it, I've been given a lot of bonuses. Bet you have too. One of those whom I think about today is my sister-in-law, Erin. Today is Erin's birthday. And that girl is a gift to so many. But there were more than a few curveballs that made it possible for her to be in her brother's life, and therefore, in mine. A series of events, some of which are tragic, brought two little families together and enlarged an extended family to weave a common thread of love. Were there curveballs? A few. Bonuses? Too many to count.
Today's birthday girl and I lived nearby for several years and were able to see each other often. Our kids are close in age. We've shared stories of motherhood and toddlerhood, joys and hardships, shenanigans and serious stuff.
In one of life's biggest curveballs—the loss of a pregnancy—she was there. She stayed with Maddox one clear January morning while Graham and I went to the hospital to do the hard work of saying goodbye to a baby. When we came home late that night, tired and emotionally drained, her love was big. And in one of life's most extravagant bonuses just weeks later—the news of Henry and Harper—she was there. When it was time to find out the twins' gender, Erin went with me to the doctor's appointment because her brother—my husband—was in Afghanistan. Her calming presence was a gift I don't think she fully understood.
On this, her birthday, I hope my sister knows how much she is loved. By her parents, her siblings, and her friends. I hope she realizes how wonderful Chris and the boys think she is—how influential and important she is to them. And in this life full of curveballs, I hope she understands what a bonus she is to her brother and me.
We love you, E!
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