Helping Shelter Kids Pick Out Halloween Costumes Taught Me Lessons I’ll Never Forget

two children, a small but vibrant house, mornings that were simultaneously frantic, beautiful, and full of joy.

Emily, my little bookworm, sparkled with intelligence and attitude, often lost in the pages of fantasy novels yet capable of lighting up a room with a single laugh, a laugh so radiant it could feel like sunlight breaking through storm clouds on the grayest of days.

Josh, lanky, awkward, and endlessly endearing, tried tirelessly to maintain an air of cool detachment, to hide the tender vulnerability he carried inside, but every Sunday morning, without fail, he asked for his chocolate chip pancakes, a request he made with a hopeful grin that melted any pretense he tried to uphold.

And Mark, with his terrible puns, gentle teasing, and endless patience, attempted — often failing, yet always with love — to maintain order in the midst of the chaos that surrounded us, the house alive with noise, clutter, and love in equal measure.

Our home smelled of burnt toast some mornings, of coffee and laundry detergent, of crayons and spilled juice, a mixture that was messy, chaotic, and entirely ours, imprinted with the echoes of laughter, argument, and affection.

I can still see Mark sneaking up behind Emily to ruffle her hair, hear Josh rolling his eyes but grinning anyway as Mark attempted to teach him to change a tire, hear the symphony of clattering dishes and squeaky toys, the faint hum of the refrigerator, the distant sound of traffic outside our small corner of the world.Continue reading…