the weight of Minkie

Last night during the Democratic debate, Minkie decided she wanted to color. So I put some paper and crayons in front of me. She climbed on my lap and colored.

I thought about what this would have felt like before I became a parent. I had about as much exposure to people under 3 as your typical 20-30-something-- which is not much. I remember how special it felt when they chose me to hold them, when they wanted to hold hands. When, on very few occasions, they settled into sitting with me. That sweet weight of a little one on my lap, the soft little hands, the downy hair.

I realized that it still feels special.