Last week, my family spent a few days in Overland Park, Kansas to celebrate my company’s 15 year anniversary.   The great thing about going on vacation is visiting a new church.  My husband asked the hotel where the nearest Catholic Church was and it happened to be just five blocks from our hotel.

We pulled up to the church, which the name escapes my mind and goggle is doing me no help, and quickly realized it was the same church we visited five years prior at my company’s 10 year anniversary party.

But this visit was different and we were seeing the church through different eyes.  Five years ago we were newlyweds without children.  Our faith was important to us but it was at a different level.

I remember I was stuck by how the priest and Eucharist Ministers conducted Communion so beautifully.  After everyone was done, they cleaned every single tiny drop out of every single chalice.  This was no easy task because it was a huge parish and there were about five or six chalices.  I remember kneeling in the second or third pew watching as each precious drop was wiped away.

Five years later, it was much different.  For starts they were renovating the church so Mass was moved to the gym.  As we walked to the gym, I noticed the above statue.  My heart skipped a beat as I saw the image of Mother Mary lovingly holding her child.  And then I read the inscription at her feet.

This Bible verse was written on the cake for my baby shower with my first daughter.

Five years ago, something of this beauty would not have captured my eyes the way it did this time.  Children have changed me.  In more ways than I will ever know.

Life is good.  So good.

And thankfully, my children have allowed me to see the beauty in life.  All life, regardless of birth and age.  Life is good.

So good.