Love.

As I reached for the third cup of coffee this morning in an attempt to ward of the sleepiness that comes along with child care, I asked myself the same question that I always ask in moments of exhaustion... Why do I do this to myself?

This week has been a bit crazy so far, which is usually normal. Last week, however, was the opposite of crazy while I vacationed with my family in the retirement capital of America... Marco Island, FL. Coming from such a slow moving, fun/sun/food-filled week made my usual 7am - 9pm schedule a bit more exhausting than I remembered. I try to be a super-nanny, but I will tell you all who have never cared for a child... KIDS ARE EXHAUSTING. They constantly want something (often food, or something equally as inconvenient), they have indescribable amounts of energy that they likely stole from you (one mom likened this concept to the dementors in Harry Potter), and they are full of an impossible amount of bodily fluids! Any person who works in child care (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) deserves a billion gold stars and a lifetime supply of strong coffee. So why, then, do I voluntarily spend my 40-hours per week cleaning up aforementioned bodily fluids while being energy sucked by dementor children? Love.

After dealing with yet another mid-nap potty accident, and going through the motions of the nap-time ritual for what seemed like the billionth time today, the 3-year-old I watch looked up at me with something to say. I expected him to request yet another snack, or drink, or "five more minutes," or "just one more book," but instead, he said to me, "Han, I love you" and closed his eyes for his nap. I don't care if it is the cheesiest thing ever. This is the moment of my day that reminded me what love is. Those little dementors who produce piles of dirty diapers, dishes, and laundry are people. They're not going to be people when they grow up, when they start talking, or when they've reached some other milestone... they're people right now and they need the grown-ups in their lives to know that. They are each special, kind, creative, and smart. When they play it is sometimes loud and irritating, but it is so important. Their fresh, young minds are able to learn and grow so much everyday. It is so outrageously impressive the way we've all been created. People are so intricately designed. Our ability to love... that's an incredible gift and kids are able to do it so well sometimes that it makes cry for so embarrassingly long that you have to write about it. As I sit here listening to the early signs of the end of nap time, I am just so thankful for the life that I have, and for the people God's placed in my life. I am so thankful that one of those wonderful people reminded me, yet again, how much God loves each one of His children, and that He is calling me to do the same.

Xoxo,
Hannah