Tonight I was running on a low battery, and not on the look-out for any warm fuzzies.  In fact, I was biting my tongue to keep from snapping at the kids, and even Christmas was looking like one big chore looming at me from the to-do list.

Then my daughter (the five-year-old) asked if she could read me a story before bedtime.  I kept my tone bright by force of will and answered a cheerful “sure, just as soon as you’re ready for bed”, and sighed to myself because I had a lot of critiquing, writing, classwork, laundry, etc. still waiting.

When we settled in a few minutes later, though, I was surprised not only with how far her reading progresses each day, but also how clever the book was.  The words were all simple but the concept was fun, and I found myself smiling.  Then our son came in to listen and I found myself having one of those really cool moments when I realize how lucky I am to be a mom, and how much I love my kids.

Tonight I’m grateful for writers who put all they’ve got into these little beginner books, and for unexpected moments.