Yesterday, my blue-eyed, red-head turned one!  I often find myself thankful for two things on my children’s birthdays:  the life of Brady or Abby and the life of parenthood. 

Yesterday, we celebrated Abby’s birth and addition to our family.  She is such a gift- her contagious smile, her snugly personality, her stubbornness and determination at getting her point across and figuring something out, her ability to bring out compassion in Brady and Chris in a whole new way, her laugh, her joy at learning new things, her desire to be up in the middle of everything, and her ability to challenge me to model an authentic, life-giving, confident, woman for her.  

Chris and I reminisced about this past year noting all of Abby’s growth and change, all of the joys, and all of the things we have learned from her. As we talked, we could not help but be thankful for the greatest gift she gives us– the role of being a parent to a daughter.  Something that at times is quite scary, but something that Chris and I both treasure.  Abby is unique and different from Brady.  What worked for him does not always work for her.  She reminds me daily that I must ask God for help in learning to love my children in the way that they need to be loved. 

How is it that God can shower so many gifts out of one little human life? 

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.