Catholic Review "What was the best day of your life?"

The other day we were driving together as a family, talking the way you do when you’re in the car.

“Mom,” one of our sons asked, “what was the best day of your life?”

Wow.

I couldn’t answer. How could I pick just one?

There was the day my husband asked me to marry him. Then there was the day we got married. Then the days afterward as we started building our life together.

There was the day we met our first son, which was a day of incredible joy. But really that moment was just a starting point as we got to know one another.

Then there was the day we met our second son, which was also magnificent. I remember feeling completely in awe that we were given the chance to become parents for a second time. What an unbelievable gift.

“Maybe the day when we got home from China and we were all together for the first time,” I said.

But even as I answered, I knew that wasn’t completely true either. Yes, we were elated, but we were also physically and emotionally exhausted from our adoption journey. And we were just about to start the challenging adventure as parents of two.

That was momentous and wonderful and an important part of our family history. There was tremendous relief and joy. But was it the best day of my life? I’m not sure. It was the starting point for many of the best days of my life.

Maybe the best day is not the once-in-a-lifetime day but the more ordinary day when you’re living with the wonder of being right where you want to be.

Truly, these days, every morning when I open my eyes feels like the best day. When I look around the house in the evening and realize all of us are safely home, finished with all the work and activity of the day, I am full of tremendous gratitude. That’s the best.

Even before I became a wife and mother, I know I have had many “best” days on the highlights reel—graduation days, days when I traveled to new places, days when I landed or started new jobs, days when the victories were tangible and real.

But there are days that aren’t on the calendar that were also exquisitely wonderful, days when I felt God’s presence in a significant way, days when I knew I was so loved. Some of the best days have been days when nothing changed but I simply felt confident that I was right where I needed to be.

Some people will tell you that the best days of your life are during high school or during college. Others will tell you that it’s when you’re engaged or newly married, or when you have little ones, or when the little ones aren’t so little, or…or…or.

Maybe it’s all true. For me, with two growing teenagers, I see the days flying by. Life is full of craziness, frustration, and worries. But it’s also full of incredible joy. And maybe I’m wrong, but today might just be one of the best days of my life. I hope it will be one of yours, too.