Hugging My Heart

She shifts her body to attempt to hug me even closer. Her feverish arms wrap around my neck and we snuggle again.

"Corinne, when I hug you, I feel like I'm hugging my heart..."

An understanding smile lights up her tired little face.

"Oh, Mommy... I love you so much, too."

We rest together and wait for the super-sweet-purple medicine to work its magic on her horrendous headache and fever. The urge to squeeze each other and profess our immeasurable love cannot be contained;

"I love you!"

"I know you love me, honey."

"How do you know I love you, Mommy?"

"Because you are so incredibly sweet to me. You bring me ice water when I look thirsty. You brush my hair and hug my neck. You want to make me proud by doing and being your best. And I know you love me because I can feel it in the air."

"Oh."

pause

" I know that you love me, too. Want to know how?"

"Yes."

"I know that you love me because you stayed up allll night when I was throwing up and you picked up the puke and it made you gag but you kept on taking care of me, even when I puked in your bed! And you washed my carpet and gave me medicine and changed my clothes. I know you love me because you take care of me, Mommy!"

We giggled over how gross that was. (It was exceptionally gross.) And then we continued with our hugging. We sang to each other and she finally drifted off into a nap to battle the germs that dared take up residence inside of her.

I realized that this moment was one of the best ones of my life. Not because of a monumental accomplishment or thrill of traveling to a distant land but because my daughter loves me and was with me. I was literally hugging my heart and she still loves to hug me back. That is a treasure that cannot be measured.

I don't ever want to forget these little moments. Ever.