for my children, present and future

Oh, my loves! There are so many things I want you to know. I want you to know how glad I am that you are mine; want you to know it as well as you know your own name. I want you to know that even when you make my life harder, when you argue or misbehave, when you do something completely maddening, I wouldn't trade you -- or our time together -- for anything. I promise that I will do my best for you as a parent, always. And when I suspect I am missing something crucial, I will call for reinforcements. I promise to find the people who can make up for what I lack. (No one can do everything. We all need help, sometimes.) I am committed to cultivating the unique awesomeness of who you already are as a person, so that when the time comes for you to be set loose in the wide world, I can be so very proud of what we have accomplished together.

I am pretty sure you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. You are all that and a bag of chips. You are any other complimentary food-related cliches that I can't think of right now, and non-food-related ones too. You are a champion. You are brilliant. You are the best of the best. I will never, not ever, change my mind about that.

All my love forever -- mama