My Daughter, My Joy

Tonight for her story Naomi chose this book called, "My Daughter, My Joy." My mom gave me this book many years ago and it is full of various pictures, stories and quotes about mothers and daughters. Not exactly the bedtime story 2-year-olds listen to. I aksed her if she was sure and she nodded. As she lay her head back in my arms, we rocked back and forth in the rocker my parents gave me many, many, many Christmases ago. Even before I became a mother...or a wife.

As we flipped through the pages, I read different uninteresting to a 2-year-old quotes but she listened quietly. As if she could tell I was enjoying myself. She rested her blonde head on my arm and looked at me as I read this quote:

"Dear Daughter. Take my love with you now and into the time that I will never know. It is as much a part of you as breath. Or your identity."

I felt tears in my eyes. I will always be a part of her...even when I am gone. Just as my mom is still a part of me. When we are so many miles apart.

As I pulled her cov-covs up to her chin, I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Are you my daughter?," I asked.

"daughter," she answered.

My daughter, My joy.