The joy of a surprise

It's funny how we feel the need to follow specific guidelines for how we live our life.  

With personal life it is date in high school, date in college, somehow meet the love of your life between your last year of college and first few years in the work force.  Get married, be married and travel for a few years, then have your first baby.  Second baby two years later.  Third baby 3-5 years later.  Am I right?  

But life doesn't always happen that way.

There is no one way.  No right way.

I had E when I was 22.  Young to some, just right to others.  Because I had him when I did he was able to meet and develop loving relationships with some of my most beloved family members that have since passed away.  He wouldn't know them if I had followed the "rules" and waited until 27-30 to have my first child.  Memories of mazes with my uncle, songs and hugs from my grandma, sweet tea and stories from my husbands grandmother.  

When I was pregnant with L, just about a month away from having him, one of my dearest and best friends called me out of the blue.
Her younger sister had a baby.  She had been pregnant and not told anyone.  More details are there but not necessary about the young girl that had a surprise baby.

I have a special place in my heart for surprise babies because I have one, too.  I feel that surprise babies are here because they just couldn't wait to come to earth.  The parents of surprise babies are so lucky to have this little being that was done waiting to arrive and just did.

A crib.  Clothes.  Diapers.  Scrambling to assemble a layette that some take months, or years, to gather up in just a matter of days.
The sweetest little bundle that I held when he was brand new.  The cutest little toddler that came to birthday parties.  A now "big boy" that I follow through Facebook photos and chance meetings, has grown up parallel to my little L.
A beautiful face that looks just like his mom.  A mom that he was able to spend 5 years with and now will be his memory as he begins a new life without her.
Thank God for surprise babies.  Thank God for the joy of children as we face unexplainable tragedy.
She is in a better, pain-free place but thank God that she left the world a beautiful surprise baby.

In loving memory of Becca Blackwell