Mom.

I was in my mom's office this morning...I don't know why. Sometimes I just pace the house until I remember what I was supposed to be doing. She had this little book of quotes about mothers. I flipped it to one I like and left it open for her to find. And I got to thinking about everything my mom has done, has sacrificed for me. Everything she continues to do for me, and for herself. She's getting her M.B.A. right now, and worked her way through college while raising a teenager. I am so proud of her. I can't even put it into words how lucky I am to call this woman mine. It bowled me over, at 7:00am, how much of my own happiness has been wrapped up in my mom. How her departure from daycare every day was the end of the world, and her return was, hands down, the happiest moment of my day. For so long, if mom said everything was going to be okay, it would. It still is.

I thought about this today putting Ella to sleep. She isn't mine, but Nichole is kind enough to let me have her for a few hours a day and it's amazing how you fall in love so quickly. When she's happy, you're happy. No questions asked. When she smiles, I smile. And I don't smile to humor her, I smile because seeing her smile MAKES me happy! I was changing her diaper and her face was just lit up, and I laughed and I said "Baby, guess what? It's MONDAY!!!!" I'm changing a diaper, and with one smile from the kid I'm genuinely thrilled about the fact that it's Monday! How ridiculous is that? And when she's sick, it hurts me too. I have so much respect for Nichole because I know she feels the same way, times 100. There is no patience, no affection, no love like that which comes with being a parent. Or so I'd imagine.

Someday. There are many things I want to do in this life, but if I had to pick just one, there it is. Especially if mine are anything close to this cute. And they
better be.