"How many children do you have?"

"How many children do you have?" they ask. 

Oh, the dreaded question. "How much time do you have?" I wonder silently to myself. 
Do you really want to know? 
And do you really care? 
Am I up to going through the entire heart rending tale? 
If you have the time, my friend, here's the answer I will give.............

I have children that dance and children that sing,
children that cuddle all kinds of things,
children with freckles and dimples and bows,
children that run through the sprinkler and hose,
children that color (on paper and walls),
ones that love stomping and jumping in puddles,
children that ask, "What is that for?"
and spill glasses and glasses of milk on the floor,
children that laugh and children that cry,
and constantly ask Mommy and Daddy, "Why?"

"But I have nine that are different, set apart from the rest,
Nine I've never known the joy of nursing at my breast.
Nine we cannot cuddle, nine we cannot hold,
though we will in our hearts as we grow old.
These children I cannot rock when stormy is the night,
or tuck snuggly into bed with the fading of day's light.
Though here with me now nine is all that you see.

"I have sixteen children," I would say, with a glance toward the sky,
"Seven that can run and nine that can fly."
~Val Minihan~ 

NOTE: I edited it to make it fit for our family The original has "three" where you see "nine."

Dear Reader, When I share things like this, I am not in a melancholy mood. I am remembering how blessed I am to have seven here and nine there. I get to enjoy the children God gave me on this earth, and I have children I get to look forward to meeting! I don't have to understand the why to know God's plan for me is good. I hope you also have confidence in His goodness!