“Don’t let your thoughts and fears of tomorrow rob you of your joy today” is not my quote but from Laura “Sudyk” Gibson, the strongest darling mother of 4 children, an amazing wife of Andy Gibson and undoubtedly the most Beautiful & Perfect Design of God.

Not just one, but with multiple life threatening complications was the little angel Briella Grace gifted to Laura and Andy in March 2015. Briella means “God is My Strength”.

An umbilical hernia surgery when she was 21 HOURS old, bladder fistula, narrow airway, recessed chin, abnormal esophagus, missing corpus collusum, underdeveloped frontal lobe, Supraventricural Tachycardia(SVT), hole in heart, less vision are some of the findings on little Briella.

I happened to hold this cutest baby Briella in my arms on a beautiful summer at Michigan, USA in 2015 after meeting her joyful mother Laura at Starbucks where she was working.

What caught my attention at the first glimpse of Laura, moments before I was about to be introduced to her, was the happiness in her face that welled up from within as she was taking orders from her customers. The joy in her face was something so unique and genuine when compared to her other colleagues.

To me, I felt just like how Mary and Joseph were chosen by the Most High, so was Laura and Andy for a greater purpose.

A series of appointments with the Opthalmologist, Cardiologist, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Pediatrics Surgeon, ENTs, PT and OT were those that were added on to the ‘To Do list’ of this working mother, not for one day, but for a time untold as they left the NICU.

Amongst most mothers who find it harder to manage two highly energetic kids, Laura stood tall and elegant in managing 4 beautiful kids with Briella needing the maximum attention.

Not a single day, but everyday grumpiness lost its battle to her as she defeated it with her graceful smile and positivity.

Running to the ER on erratic times during Briella’s seizures, ventilator support and therapies has been a routine for the family.

She requires stay of multiple days at hospital while Andy wears that heavy hat of a mother taking care of the rest of them.

Those dark circles on Laura’s eyes are the evidences of her, talking with her Heavenly Father while staying awake all night adjusting oxygen 100s of times a night and for those wrinkles, she says, they are her Bagdge of Honour for the tears of heartaches and unexplainable joy for those many miraculous events she has experienced.

In all these she recalls, how God has been incredibly faithful to her by showing His craziest love for her.

While it is not just only 1 but 3 other beautiful kids who needs their mamma’s love and attention, they get that too generously. From what I saw from the family, I can bang my fist and say it is their Godly way of raising children that calls for unconditional caring, generous sharing and readiness in happily owning responsibilities.`

The children never saw their sibling who needs attention as a sole responsibility of their mom and dad, instead saw that as an equal responsibility on them for their loving sister, irrespective of what age they belong to.

Now, Axel is 11, Ryker is 9, Brileigh is 7 and Briella is 5.

Their fights are not over on who plays with what and who gets more of something but their sweetest fights are on “who holds Briella’ the whole time as she sleeps so securely. What an adorable way of showing unconditional love!!

Truly, Children don’t mostly learn with what they are taught but from what they caught from their parents.

These amazing kids caught the loving nature of their parents from what they saw in their daily life.

Each of the kids showed their part of parenting with utmost love for Briella.

Mostly we hear of parents wearing multiple hats, but these little priceless children have been taught to wear multiple hats of being a student, a parent and a nurse for their own Briella, at the same time they are really children.

The parent and nurse in each of these children don’t end by just holding little Briella in their arms but with their joyous nature in doing their duties like clearing mucus, repositioning her head so that its more upright, helping put on her ventilator at night, feeding her or administering medicines, putting on her braces and taking them off, feeding tube bandage changes, stretching her tightened muscles and goes on.

They have learnt to celebrate Briella’s smile, her laughter, her eating and even her time of waking up every day.

Where did they get it from? It is from their mother Laura and her strongest shouldered best half Andy.

Not a day of lamenting, not an hour of mourning, not a minute complaining, not a second of sighing “why God why”, not a millisecond of ‘Why me’, but with every breath of being Grateful to God for His Goodness and Mercy, thanking Him for the strength and sustenance, walking upright with Joy of doing what they are called to do.

Laura, you are a noteworthy inspiration to every human being out here and with your life, you did send hands down a strong message without a saying word, yet showing many of us “Not to let go the Joy for the hardships endured, rather use it to bring the best out of you”