Goldilocks Had it All Wrong

I think maybe it was actually Goldilocks who started it all.

You know, with her, “This chair is too big, this chair is too small, but this one – this one right here – this one is just right!”

Those two little words:  Just right.

When the Goldilocks story is told, somehow the “just right” part invokes a sigh of relief.

“Just right.”

And just like that – Poof! – the standard was set!!

All was well.

The chair wasn’t too big, it wasn’t too small, it was just right!!

How many people miss out on the big in life, by settling for the  “too small” or even the “just right?”

Imagine with me, if Goldilocks had climbed into the big chair and exclaimed, “This one is huge and it is just right!!”

Seriously – can you imagine??

Over the years, we have been asked more times than I can count, “Aren’t you afraid your family is getting too big?”  Or even, “Are you worried that having special needs kids will take away from the rest?”  Others have questioned, “Don’t you think having so many kids takes away?”

The longer I’m around, the more certain I am that Goldilocks, in all her goldi-fame,  wasn’t aware of the big picture or she would have exclaimed as she climbed up into that big ol’ chair, “This one!! This one is the one that is just right!”

And history, as we know it, would have been re-written!

Yup.

The chair with more room!

The chair that had to be climbed up to get into.

The chair that was larger than her life!

That chair!  The giant one – that’s the one that should have been dubbed the famous “just right!”

We’ve found that living life in the big chair is so much more of everything….

more joy, more smiles, more opportunity to share, more gifts, more potty training, more love, more hugs, more snuggles, more giggles, more tears, more tears, more jumping late at night from top bunk to top bunk, more wrestling, more laughter, more comforting, more laundry, more energy, more long talks, more diapers, more planning, more feedings, more surgeries, more opportunities, more cleaning, more joy, more simplifying, more favor, more sleepless nights, more blessings, more doctor visits, more people effected positively, more people adopting because of seeing the beauty, more everything.    

Over the years, as our family has grown and we’ve added more treasures regularly, of course our five oldest have added more by adding their spouses into the big chair, and now they’ve finally begun adding grandtreasures..more, more, more – seven times over!!  

This past week-end, as I watched Savannah play with Ruby, I couldn’t help become overwhelmed with gratefulness.  I grabbed my camera and asked if she’d mind me snapping a few pictures.  She and Ruby-girl have an extra special bond, as evidenced in the pictures.  Ruby carries on with giggles and squeals whenever “her nanna” comes over!!IMG_7412

As I watched, I thought how I just can’t even begin to picture life if we’d said two was “just right”.

 We’d have been missing out on “the more!!”  

And truthfully, I can’t stand the thought of never having Autumn, Karl, Everlly, Emma, Josh, Little Man, The Gem Foundation, Graham, Savannah, Liberty, Jubilee, Vernon, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Elizabeth, Elijah, Ruby and Pearl…..

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If only.

If only Goldilocks had seen her future and understood exactly what she was about to miss out on when she settled for “just right”….. I’m actually pretty sure she would have begged ferociously for a “do-over” and we’d have found her scrambling excitedly up in to that big chair while doing somersaults and screaming loudly,

“This one – this one right here – this one is “just right!!” 

If only.

8 thoughts on “Goldilocks Had it All Wrong

    1. BTW, have there been further updates on Eisley? I think the last I saw was on your post with the drawing results. Praying still.

  1. I’m just finding Ms Ruby’s bottle holding to be so miraculous! Gimme MORE! (As we debate whether we’re done with adopting, and which age group to consider 😉 )

    1. Oh friend!! How your comment made my heart smile!!! Don’t be done!! If you have even an inkling of adoption in your heart – please, please let me be a silver haired voice – The orphan crisis is enormous. You know that. And no matter how many kids we have, how old we get, and how tired we are…we could imagine looking any of our kids in the face and saying, “yeah, I wish I didn’t have you.” Ups, downs trials, joys, laughter, sleepless nights, surgeries, heartaches – all so worth it! We wouldn’t do anything different except adopt a few more between Autumn and Emma and Liberty and Isaiah…I vote DO IT!!

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