Christmas

Sarah got me a beautiful blanket for Christmas, and I love it. But the best gift was a handwritten note from her. I won't post the whole thing here because of course, it's very personal. But an excerpt:

I can't fit how much I love you into one card. I love you more than just to the moon and back because the moon (and universe) isn't far enough.

She also, at age twelve, smack-dab in the middle of middle school, acknowledged that even when she is arguing with me, or pushing back on me about something, she knows I am "totally right" and that my motivation is always to "make things better."

I am kind of glad she wasn't here when I read her card (she is with her dad for Christmas) because like me, she isn't all that comfortable with big emotional displays, and I had a big emotional response to reading her sweet words. I really and truly could not have asked for a better gift than that one. A mother's work is never done, and it's a rare thing to get such confirmation that you are doing something, anything right. I do the best I can and then I worry. I worry it's not enough. I worry I'm missing something. I worry my best falls way short. This morning, I feel like I'm doing something right in the most important job I will ever have in my life which is raising this incredible human being.

Needless to say I am feeling overwhelmingly blessed and loved this Christmas morning. I wish the same for each one of you.