Of course, the students didn't understand exactly why I teared up. Just the thought of what so many parents had to face during the Holocaust is almost unbearable. Yet I'm also in awe of the heroic actions of so many parents, sacrificing themselves for their children.
This also reminds me of my last night in the hospital after my daughter was born. A new aide came in, and was rougher than I liked with my daughter. I came after her, verbally, of course, like a mama tigress. But I was prepared to do whatever it took to keep her from my baby. . Afterwards, I was stunned by what I had felt --and even a little scared.
When I became pregnant, people told me "It'll change your life." They should have said "It will turn your world upside down." Things that were so important prebaby are now of no consequence; things of little or no importance are now primary concerns. I consider this a gift, one of many I've received from becoming a parent.
Perhaps the most important gift my daughter has given me, though, is the gift of being present. She has taught me to live fully in each moment of my day. To delight in the antics of the squirrels in our front yard. To pick up and study the colored leaves in our backyard. To enjoy the delightful bounce of a new rubber ball, or watch bubbles drift on the air currents. She is a blessing. I'm very proud to be her Mommy.
