I come from a very fertile family. My sister had 7 children, my brother had 6…I was dead set on 5. When I married World’s Greatest Husband, his sister (the one that everyone thinks is his twin) had already had the first grandchild – this adorable little boy who we all still dote on. (He even beats his favorite aunt in Fantasy Football!) I really wanted to have the first girl grandchild. My sister could think of babies and be pregnant, I was sure to follow in her footsteps. But then sister twin had baby #2 – a cute little girl who had this fantasic name! (I know she’s not named after me, but my name is Jennifer and her name is Jennifer – you can see how I could get confused, right?) Still no baby. Fast forward 4 years…the sister twin is having her third baby. Then the other sister in law is having her first baby. Then another sister in law is having her second baby. So I’m the only woman of child bearing age who is NOT having a baby. My heart is breaking; still no baby for me. I’m excited because the sister twin is due right around my birthday so I eagerly await. But no, this one has to have a mind of their own and wait an extra 5 days to be born. On January 14th, we head to the hospital to see this new arrival. Little did I know that amist the heartbreak, the pain the drama that was going on everywhere around us this little girl would look up at me and my whole world shifted. Sure the pain was still there as was the resentment but there was also a peace…and a joy…that was not there before.
That little girl got married a couple days ago. She’s all grown up and a married woman now. And as I sat there and listed to their song being sung as they filled their sand jar, that same peace and that same joy filled my soul yet again. She is one of God’s gifts to me.
Thank you, Jackolyn Nicole Smeltzer Rutherford, for letting me be your aunt!
My Unconventional Self 