I love you every day, he said. And then he paused. In the dark. As we lay in the top bunk. Snuggled close to one another.
I love you every day, mommy, he whispered, again.
Thank you for making my day, I told him. And kissed him on his crown. And I think I actually felt the oxytocin releasing from my brain on down.
Because to me, it’s what makes it all worth it. Loving. Being loved. Having relationships that mean something. And having people that mean more than something. They mean everything.
Love them a little more today. Today. Do it. Love them. All of your thems. The people that matter. The people that make it for you. The people that are characters in your story. The people that make life livable. Beautiful. Mysterious. Magical. Humorous. Complete. Yours.
Your one and only. Your littles. Your predecessors. Your people who know you more than any others do. Your people who love you anyway. Your real family. Your life earned family. The ones who see you every day. The ones you haven’t seen in ages but that your heart will forever include in your thems. The ones who have given you the most memorable of memories. The ones who have already gone. And the ones who you’ve only just met, but you feel like you’ve known them for all of it.
Love them a little more today.
Love them.
A little more.
And let them know you’re doing so.
It’s brief. This life. It can change on any single day. So today… say it. Tell them you love them. Text it. Facebook it. Call them. Go see them. Pray for them. Drop them a line… snail or otherwise. Do it in the way that you know how. But somehow, do it today.
And then tomorrow, you can go back to normal. If you must.
But for today.
Just love them.
A little more.