Words To Live By

Tonight my youngest son, my 7-year-old, says--apropos of nothing: "You're the greatest Mom in the world.....salt of the earth." Unearned, undeserved, unmerited praise!! He and my middle son (9-yrs-old) will often say "you're the greatest mom in the world" and every time, I feel humbled and exalted, all in the same moment. (The "salt of the earth" was just a little added bonus tonight, I guess. He often tries out random phrases). I feel paralyzed by how much I don't deserve to be given such a badge of honor, and at the same time, I feel like I'm top of the world and nothing matters more than truly being worthy of such a title. And if I can feel like that from my child, surely a hundred times more he could and should feel that from me. What greater gift---worth more than gold---than to give my children that same honor: "You're the greatest kids in the whole world." And not just to say it in those words, though that's important. But to show it in dozens of ways every day---in little touches, in praise, in encouragement, in responding kindly, in being nice, in being patient instead of critical. Then they would know the prize of being cherished, in believing they were the greatest kids on earth. Because they are. In a million different ways they are. But I have to tell them, I have to share it, I have to show them so that it's real and attainable. And in the meantime, as I learn better how to do that, I'll attempt to be worthy of the title "Greatest mom in the world" to the greatest kids on earth. Lucky me.