Love Notes

I like to write little love notes to my kids at random times. It’s a cheesy MOM thing that I like to do.

Once in a while, when I am working late, I will walk into the living room to find a little love note of sorts addressed to me from my kids, placed strategically on the stairs for me to find.

Tonight, it was a story:

Sometimes it’s a drawing, with “I love you mom”

Sometimes it’s just a little piece of paper with “I love you mom” with no drawing, or a drawing without any words at all.

Always, it makes me smile.

I don’t work as much as I used to, which I know a lot of people don’t believe, but it’s true. With two kids (and the older I get!), it’s a lot harder to do the 9pm – 3am third shift then get up at 6:30 or 7 to get kids ready for school.

But when I do have to work late, like tonight when every single part of my professional and personal life is demanding something of me right now, I feel like my kids are always there, cheering me on, enveloping me in big bear hugs while they sleep and I type, design, strategize, plan, console, and code away. Their notes are sweet and thoughtful; they make me so proud and honored that these are my kids — kids who write their mother love notes without any prompting, who reciprocate in this silly cheesy mom ritual of sending visual “I love you” cues when we’re not together.

I love what I do — every insanely busy nonstop bit of it. I love it all even more because I think it allows my kids to love me not just for the fact that I am their mother, but for who I am. My work – all of it – is a huge part of who I am. I make no excuses for it, and I am proud of all that I do. I want my kids to see that, and I want them to find the same passion and pride for work in their lives.

The late nights are admittedly getting harder to handle, but finding little love notes at unexpected times makes it worth it.