I Must Be Doing Something Right

Yesterday I was in the bathroom with my daughter, Erin, when, out of the blue, she told me, "I love you, Mommy." Today I dropped her off at school. She started running to class, but then she stopped and turned around real fast to say, "I love you, Mommy."

These I Love You's are not an unusual thing to be heard. I must tell her a hundred times a day. But yesterday it struck me how beautiful it is to hear her tell me that. I must be doing something right. Goodness knows I can be mean and crabby and sometimes I yell and do things I'm not proud of. But my girls don't ever hold a grudge. Maybe it's because they know that I really do love them even if I'm having a bad day.

I don't remember ever being that way with my parents. In fact, I don't think they told me they loved me all that often. Now, as an adult, I realize that they just weren't that good at showing affection. They still aren't. But I wanted affection. I craved it.

I knew from a very young age that when I grew up, my family would be different. My kids would KNOW that I loved them because I would hug them and snuggle them and TELL them a million times a day. I believe that in this I have succeeded.

And on top of it, I married an awesome guy who loves me and his three little girls, expressing his love with copious amounts of verbal and physical affection.