A prayer to see children as a blessing by Victoria Rihlano, read by Lea Martin.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.

The fruit of the womb is a reward, like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children

of one's youth.

As a young child, I already knew I wanted many children.

The thought of having little people who loved me unconditionally and even looked like

me was pretty exciting, yet as I started having children, I realized.

The motherhood journey wasn't easy.

There were days that were full of frustration.

I wondered if I could ever measure up to the mother I dreamed of being as a child.

Although I knew that motherhood didn't come with a manual, I still felt like I would

never be good enough.

Consequently, the more children I had, the more I would be met with comments of, who

you have your hands full, and I can't imagine having that many children.

It seemed the world around me was confirming the pressure and insecurity I felt within

myself.

Yet one day, during a grocery store outing with five little ones in tow, a man old enough

to be my grandfather quietly whispered under his breath, words that I'll never forget.

Wow, look at all those generations.

You're so blessed.

In that moment, I was reminded that my current woes would soon be fading memories.

The sleepless nights with an infant wouldn't last forever.

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