Why I Love Nieces: Reason No. 5,632

Lily drew this picture for me on Sunday. It now occupies a special place on the bulletin board in my room.

What a well-adjusted little six-year-old, huh? And such artistic ability! I mean, look! She recognizes and knows how to draw movement! Amazing. I love her.

This is the same niece who, when she was not yet two, said one of the most poignant statements I'm sure I'll ever hear. She and I were baking a cake. She wanted to stir the batter, but of course her fine motor skills were not fully developed. Consequently, she made somewhat of a mess, which did not please my inner OCD. So I took over and said, "Why don't you just let me do this, okay?" After realizing that what mattered was not the mess, but the joy of doing something fun together and teaching a two-year-old about baking, I said, "I'm sorry, Lily. Of course you can help me stir! I don't know what I was thinking; I wasn't thinking!"

Her response? "As long as you start to think . . ."

With those seven little words spoken in a high-pitched toddler voice, I witnessed brilliance. Children make life incredible.


Thing I'm thankful for: being busy.