My heart swelled with love Saturday afternoon. I watched this scene before me, a dad and his kids and their dog splashing and playing in the water with extreme pride for what I get to be a part of. My "weekend" son came running up to me, tentatively asking me to hold something of his so he didn't drop it in the water. "Naomi? Can you hold this for me?" he asked, not sure if that was something I would do. "Sure! Of course!" I responded, so thankful that he is finally coming around and letting me do some of the "mom" things. Daughter has let me do these things for quite some time, but the new development with her was a request for me to tuck her in and give her a hug goodnight Friday night. Perhaps she would have asked Dad to do it had he not already fallen fast asleep. Perhaps she would have gone without in the past. But not this time. This time when I asked my usual, "Is there anything else you need before the lights go out?" she responded by nodding her head and opening up her arms to me. "A hug?" I asked. "Yes, please," was her response. It melted my heart.
And yes, I know these are not my kids. They already have a mom, and by the sounds of it she's a great one. I wouldn't want to steal that privilege away from her, nor am I foolish enough to think that could even be a possibility (the mom you get is the mom you are attached to and that's just how it works). But I get to be in these two young people's lives, and I get to help make their world feel safe and stable and help them learn and figure things out and deal with things. I get to be an influence. I get to be a part of their lives and development. It's a huge responsibility, and it's a huge honor.
Kaya stole my hat again (a different one this time); she sure looks good in hats:
Mike calls the kids over to play with Baby in the water:
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