I had tucked my youngest, Titus, into bed and had even chatted with him and snuggled him for his “five minutes” that he always requests at bedtime. So after I had brushed my teeth, dawned on my old, large t-shirt for pajamas, and had snuggled into bed myself, I was surprised to hear sniffling and whimpering from the other room.

Certain it was Titus, I got out of my bed and went into his room to investigate. Sure enough, he had big, wet tears streaming down his face. I asked him what was wrong, and the floodgates breached with a whole lot of emotion spilling out… He was sad for the ones who had missed out, sad for himself to not get enough pictures, sad that Dad hadn’t gotten a donut, sad that it was only one day, and now that it was over he would have to wait an entire year for the next one.

Titus was feeling some pretty big feelings and was weathering the emotional crash that typically follows big celebratory days - like birthdays or Christmas or even the 10-year anniversary party of our church that his daddy had planted.

I let him process his feelings and then directed his attention to all of the good that we did get to experience - the inflatable slide, the glow-in-the-dark mini golf upstairs, the photo booth, the donut wall, the time with his friends, and yes, even a sip of my cold brew that he didn’t care too much for.

I explained that days like birthdays and Christmas and anniversaries are much like the “frosting and sprinkles" on top of cake. They are special and memorable because they don’t happen everyday. And yes, there comes that sad moment when you realize that it ended and is now over.

I went on to explain that experiencing sadness once something is over is actually a good thing. It means that while it was happening, it was rather wonderful.

And for that, we can be thankful.

“It ended and is now over” might have been the loudest thing he heard, as a fresh round of tears started spilling from his eyes.

I reiterated the blessings of the day once again to him, and thought to myself how tomorrow was just going to be a "regular, normal” day. There would be no donut wall to select from or gigantic slide to wait your turn in. No, it was not going to be a “frosting and sprinkle” kind of day at all. There was going to be school for him, and dishes and laundry for me.

I understood how disappointing that would be to process after having indulged in all of the frosting and sprinkles you could get your hands on. But as I sat there on his bed with the light of the hallway streaming into his bedroom, wiping Titus’ tears from his cheeks, I realized something powerful:

Not all days are “frosting and sprinkles” kind of days. But what an incredible blessing it is when you realize that your “regular, normal” is pretty stinking sweet. Sweet like sheet cake.

Truth is, I love our regular, normal.

I love my family. I love my home. I love that I get to spend so much time with my family, in my home. I love waking up to a clean kitchen, wearing clean clothes, and eating home-cooked meals as a family around the supper table. I love reading my Bible and drinking coffee with creamer in the quiet on my living room couch. I love how the sunlight streams in through the trees in our great room in the mornings. I love the crackling of the fireplace as it warms up. I love how my puppy will place her paw on my knee when she’s not done being pet. I love how my cat will meow to go outside when he’s done eating his breakfast. I love that Titus is still asking me to make him his warm chocolate milk first thing in the morning - nearly six years later. I love Josiah’s morning hugs and Lydia’s songs or poems or short stories that she’s always composing. I love hearing Nathan practice his bass from his basement bedroom. I love my husband’s intentionality with our children and his love for me. I love my bougie bathroom and my farmhouse kitchen sink. I love that my yard has a weeping willow tree out front and cream hydrangeas out back. I love teaching my children how to read, write, spell, and add. I love how my children thrive off of the rhythms and routines that I’ve established for them. Yes, I love our regular, normal. It’s pretty sweet.

Now, don’t get me wrong, frosting and sprinkles are special and great. But so is plain yellow sheet cake that has been baked with a whole lot of love.