Youngest Daughter

Last night I came home from work late. I think that it was a little after 10:30 when I got home. It had been a terribly rough day at work with everyone starting in terrible moods. Those moods improved as the day wore on but the workload got tougher. I hadn't fully recovered from my 16 hour day on Tuesday. I was tired and cranky. I know that I took that out on my husband. I have been missing him lately because he has been so wrapped up in schoolwork that I don't have much time with him. That should get better about the middle of next week.
I walked into my room after I had been home for awhile and on the bed was a book with a card for me...all wrapped in a ribbon. It was an early birthday present from Lucy. She is 13 and we don't always see eye to eye but there are so many times that I see myself in her. The book was a book that she had checked out from the library and we both had read....Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie. Great story about a middle schooler. I love that she wanted to give me the book for my birthday and I love that she wrote inside the book for me. That is a family thing that we always do and we always do that when we give a book as a present.
But....the most precious thing that she gave me was the note. It was written on a notecard with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt....

" many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. to handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. anger is only one letter short of danger. if someone betrays you once, it is his fault; if he betrays you twice, it is your fault. great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. he who loses money, loses much; he who loses a friend, loses much more; he loses faith, loses all. beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. learn from the mistakes of others. you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. friends, you and me....you brought another friend...and then there were three....we started a group....our circle of friends.... and like that circle...there is no beginning or end....yesterday is history. tomorrow is mystery. today is a gift, that's why they call it the present."

Inside she wrote:
Mama, I love you sooo much. I know that I don't tell you that as much as I should but I do! Thank you so much for reading to me before bedtime when I was little and thank you for reading the same books as me now. Thank you for saying such sweet things about my writing and for encouraging me to be a writer!! Thank you for being such a great Mom to me, Corey, Drew and Mary Kate. This book and card and cranes aren't enough to show you how much I love you. So I hope that just saying it will work just as well....Lucy Claire

Thank you, Lucy, for living in the present and taking that time to let me know that you love me and that you appreciate my efforts as your mom. I know that I am not the perfect mom but I love you more than you will ever know.