I was getting a haircut and color yesterday and while waiting for some reason I glanced through a Palm Springs magazine someone had left at the hair salon.  On a funky ad I saw something written that really got me.  "To the world you may be just one person but to one person you are the world."

That is why it is such an ego boost to be loved by a child.  For a few years - ten if you are lucky - you hang the moon.  I worked for the phone company for many years while my children were growing up.  Thank God I had my mother to help because those folks had the strictest time off policy in the world and believe me if you had children at home who were sick you better keep it to yourself.  I did.  When my son Colby ran a wicked fever all night long I called my boss and faked a croaky voice and told her I was too sick to get out of bed.  As kids do, during the day my son revived and his four year old, skinny little precious self darted all over the house and chatted me up all day.  At one point the phone rang and I answered it.  I noticed Colby's eyes were as big as saucers.  "The phone works!" he said.  I asked me why he thought it would not work?  "Because you are not at the phone company today!" When I went to work my little boy saw me at the very center of Pacific Northwest Bell, making everyone's phone ring!

I'm sorry Colby...it is your turn in the memory shoot!  One day when he was about five years old he suddenly put his head down and started to cry.  When I asked him why he was crying he said.  "I don't want to go to college!  I never want to leave you!"  My boy was thinking ahead.  I had started talking with my kids about going to college since they began to draw breath.  I was hoping that message would stay in their minds until it became an unquestionable fact.  He believed it but could not stand the thought of leaving me!  Never mind that he could not wait to get away from me when he got to be a teenager.  I was the best thing since Barbie for awhile.  Oh delicious swollen ego!  I loved it!

Guess what?  I get the same outrageous and unquestionable love from a troop of grandchildren.  Lucky me!  When Colby's daughter Marissa found out I was in town she picked me to be her caregiver one day while she was sick.  We played one card game after another and watched Grease about fifty times.  She beat me almost every game - I wasn't faking it - she was a card sharp!  She was amazed that I knew all the words to the sound track of Grease and seemed to love my off-key singing.  She was five.  I'm sure she would plug her ears now!

The other day when I arrived in Bremerton Cami and Courtnee opened the door and all seven of their kids from Molly, eighteen months to Lilli aged six came flying out the door yelling Grandmaaaaaaa Cheriiiiiiii is here! Lucky me! 

 I get another chance at unconditional love for awhile.  Sometimes I get to be the world for a few minutes.  How wonderful!

Happy Mother's Day!