Happy National Daughters Day!

Today is #NationalDaughtersDay, so I will take this chance to love on mine, as if I needed an excuse. We all know I could gush about my babies any day of the week or year. And you also know that I totally do. Not a bad charge to be guilty of, if you ask me.

Eleven years old is what I’ll refer to as a ‘Gray Area Age’. My beautiful, brilliant, loving daughter is caught in this funny spot between little girl and tween and it sometimes brings us into choppy, uncharted waters. In some moments, she’s young again and interested in playing and being silly and dressing up and snuggling. And in other moments she’s this grown creature that I hardly recognize. A young woman full of emotions and big ideas and sometimes even bigger dramas. She doesn’t climb into my lap much anymore and while she’ll hug and kiss hello, goodbye and goodnight, the free flow of affection of her younger years has waned. And I know this is all normal and to be expected when a child begins to grow and spread their wings. But that doesn’t mean my mommy heart doesn’t miss the frequent and tender moments that we used to share. I just have to settle for them in smaller doses and measure.

So when my girl crawls into my lap or leans in for a squeezer hug (as we call them), like she did in this picture of us taken a few weeks ago at a concert on the beach, I welcome it. I relish it. I breathe her in and marvel at the fact that her arms and legs are now longer than mine. I kiss her head and make a mental note to never forget how this moment feels because before I know it, this season will be over, too. Time goes so fast and I will never take for granted the immense gift I’ve been given in raising my children. Motherhood is such a mixed bag of crazy/wonderful/confusing/enlightening/terrifying. And yet, it's a ride I could never, ever imagine not taking.

I am grateful for this child who first made me a mother. Who loves me no matter my faults and flaws, strengths and weaknesses, and who willingly accepts that she’s my ‘trial and error’ in this great game of life. I’m so lucky that we belong to one another, my sweet girl, and my heart will always beat for you.