When my younger son began school, I saw an opportunity to expand my part-time business. Soon, I secured a contract for a five-week engineering program for kids, scheduled after school once a week. Given that I had two young boys, my husband and I reasoned that it would be practical for them to spend one day a week in aftercare.

The arrangement worked seamlessly for four weeks. But on the fifth week, while engrossed in my workshop with students, my cell phone buzzed urgently. My assistant managed the class as I hurriedly answered.

The call was from my son’s aftercare program. My heart sank as they informed me that my first-grader was missing. In a mix-up, the aftercare staff had forgotten that my children attended on that particular day of the week. My older son, having participated in a homework session, arrived in aftercare, prompting them to realize the absence of his younger brother. Their assumption was that my younger son had boarded the bus home.

Realizing school had ended thirty minutes ago meant my little boy could be alone at the bus stop, with no one waiting and our house empty. My heart raced, fear consumed me, and I silently prayed over and over for his safety. Just as I was becoming overwhelmed with worry, my phone rang again. An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen, but I answered instinctively.

To my immense relief, it was my neighbor’s daughter. She had found my first grader near the bus stop, contemplating walking to a nearby store. I murmured a silent prayer of gratitude, thanked her profusely, and requested she escort him back to his aftercare program.

When I eventually picked him up, he was unharmed and surprisingly unperturbed. He’d been alone for merely five to ten minutes, but the incident felt like an eternity for me. Following this ordeal, the aftercare program thoroughly reviewed its procedures. As for me, I resolved to hold off on after-school workshops until my children were significantly older.

That call was a blessing. Picking up my son and taking him to aftercare was a blessing. They were answers to my prayers. These blessings are what this book is about.

As I sit here writing the first short chapter of my book, I realize that introducing myself is not easy. Below is my fifth attempt, but I believe the following will give you a glimpse into who I am now. It’s important to note that who we are is constantly evolving, and we should strive to be adaptable. So, here’s a snapshot of me now.

I am a founder, business owner, and an electrical engineer. I have worked in many industries, including a power company, power plant, CAD software company, publishing company, and a financial firm. Still, I found myself at a crossroads when I decided to stay home with my two sons. Despite this change, my passion for engineering remained steadfast, and I was determined to find a way to share it with others. That’s when I boldly decided to start my own business, and I haven’t looked back since.

I am a wife of over thirty years to a man who never fails to bring a smile to my face. Having a partner who journeys with you in life, sometimes taking different paths but ultimately meeting at the crossroads, is truly a blessing.

I am a mother whose identity once revolved around my sons, but now I am rediscovering my passions and pursuits. With my two sons graduating and successful in their careers, I have more time to explore new interests and hobbies. It’s liberating to focus on self-growth and personal development while still being a supportive and loving mother. I am excited about the future and the possibilities that await me.

I am a sister who feels incredibly blessed to have grown up with a brother and two other sisters as my siblings. Even though we are now scattered across different states, we make it a point to stay connected through technology. Whether it’s daily phone calls or group video chats, we always find ways to keep our strong bond intact and support each other regardless of the distance. Growing up as the middle child, I learned the importance of communication and compromise, and I wouldn’t trade my family for anything in this world.

I am both an aunt and a great-aunt, blessed with a niece, a nephew, and a grandniece. Each one is a precious gift.

I am a cousin. I am not as close to my cousins, but my extended family is vast.

I am a niece, and I cherish my relationships with my extended family. However, at this point, my status as a niece has diminished.

I am a daughter. Although I should say I was a daughter, as my parents are long gone. My siblings and I were blessed to have them as long as we did. My mother, with all her problems, was always with us, and she raised us. My father drifted away when I was in the 2nd grade. That’s when we moved. We were four kids moving along with a mother who loved us but was confused herself. She moved with a promise from her husband that he would join us. He never did. So the years passed, and when I was a sophomore in college, my mother and older sister moved back and found my father. At least my sister did.

Some people would think we were angry with him, but we were all young adults living our lives, and he just fit into it. We moved on as a complete family living all over the U.S. When my father’s wife passed away, we received a beautiful blessing. My father went to live with my younger sister, and so began our time with him—a time we hadn’t had before. We developed relationships with our father’s family, and our kids loved their grandfather. So, our blessings were the hours, days, months, and years we had with him.

My last description could be that of a friend, and I have been blessed to have had many throughout my life. I have to say that I am not always the best friend because I forget to call or check up on others, and somehow we drift apart, and sometimes we lose them.

Although I am not significant in the vast world with billions of people, I hold importance in my small family, community, and group of friends. I coexist with the billions of souls on this planet.

I am also a person who is constantly blessed. The blessings that I receive usually come after a prayer. They are typically small blessings like the millions of times I can not find my keys, and after a prayer, I find them. Sometimes, in a place I have already looked in before. Occasionally, the answer just comes to me with a simple thought after calming down and praying. The blessing may be communication with a loved one, a friend, or a complete stranger, but the contact was precisely what was needed at that moment. It could be a memory that comes at the right time to help solve a problem. Sometimes, it’s the gesture, like my neighbor’s daughter calling me at the perfect moment to let me know she was with my son and letting me talk to him and reassure him. Although it may seem insignificant to her, the person who is part of the blessing, it was a blessing to me.

Sometimes, I don’t recognize my blessings. When I acknowledge and appreciate my micro-blessing, I feel better. I see the world differently. I feel like fewer things are weighing me down. So this book is for you. To help you feel the same way, knowing that you are blessed. I want you to know that you are probably like me—constantly being blessed throughout your day. I want you to start appreciating and recognizing your micro-blessings because that act has improved my life and I hope it can do the same for you.