For Penny

Penny was my blessing at the end of a few hard years. Four babies in less than five years. Two years after my first boy was born and my second was only a few months old my mother died. My aunt, her sister, died of a heart attack the day of my mother’s funeral service. The news just kept coming. My grandmother died and then my uncle in a car accident.

Sure I thought, not pregnant again and cried. But Penny was my blessing. She was a bright light that filled the year ahead.

At eight months pregnant I wore my only black pregnancy dress, the one with sequins, to my father’s funeral.

And then the day after thanksgiving she came. After three boys I was afraid to ask, but the doctor knew—he knew I would want to know. A girl! I said "praise the Lord."

She was my first to comb a doll's hair and wash tiny cups and plates. The first of our children to wear ruffled skirts and smile that kind of smile that makes you want to grab her and hug her.

You will just have to believe me-Penny's real name is Penelope--her Daddy named her--and she had a little friend named Venus. A little blonde named Penelope and a little red head named Venus playing dolls together and although both owned the name of a mythical goddess it was to Jesus they prayed.

The fact is Penny may not remember but she taught Venus to pray one day. She said just say "Jesus know me." And of course Jesus knew her from eternity.

So this is for Penny, because I saw it this morning and it made me cry. And she was my blessing after all of those hard years. God’s great gift to me.