Love-Bug

“A life lived in love will never be dull.”

Leo Buscaglia

When I picked Pip up from pre-school the other day, she had a bat in her hands and was swinging at pitches thrown by one of the moms, who is also a good friend.  “It’s all in the wrist!”  my friend coached Pip.  We’ve been playing a lot of tennis with Pip lately, so she was used to a much broader hitting instrument and wasn’t having much luck.  She kept swinging though, despite her lack of contact with the ball.

When she saw that I’d arrived to pick her up, she came bounding over to me for a huge hug.   I love those greetings.  I think I appreciate them so much because I know they won’t last forever.  It’s hard for me to imagine a time in the future when Pip won’t run to me for a hug or a cuddle.  She showers me with such an abundance of love, in both her actions and words, that I want to store it away somewhere so that I can pull it out and re-live it when she’s sixteen and telling me that she hates my guts!

We were all sitting in the back yard, eating our first outdoor meal of the season and Pip was in a particularly loving mood.  We always say a little gratitude prayer before meals.  “Pip, what are you grateful for today?”

“I’m grateful for Mama.”

“Thank you Honey.”

“Mama, you are the best Mama I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, thank you Sweetie.  You’re the best four-year-old daughter I’ve ever had.”

Pip continued, “I love your smile.”

“Pip, that’s such a nice thing to say, I love your smile too!”

“Mama, I would never even be alive without you.  I love you all the way to Africa and back.”

“Pip, you are saying the loveliest things, you are such a little love-bug, where is all of this sweetness coming from?”

“It’s all in the wrist, Mama.”