Sweet Michael...

So, overall... it was a pretty hard day. But after a wonderfully enjoyable reading time with Michael before his bedtime, I was feeling much better.

I did, however, cringe somewhat when I heard the floor above the stairway creek... warning me that Michael was out of bed.

Before I could ask him what he was doing out of his room, he said, quite seriously... "Mom? You’re my favorite mother."

Me, jokingly: "Good thing, because I’m your only mother!"

Michael paused, thinking. Then said: "I love you more than any other mother in the whole world."

Me: "Oh, Michael, that's really sweet. I love you more than any other son in the whole world."

Then he thought some more, and said: "Mom? I love you and dad more than any other people I have ever seen."

Me: "Michael. You are so sweet. Thank you for telling me that. You make me so happy."

And he does.

And they all do... even on the hard days. And there is no other place I would choose to be.