Today I held you in the pool, tightly against my body, memorizing the way the moment felt. I watched your uninhibited smiles, listened to your screams of happiness, and watched you dare to swim ever further from me, ever deeper. I dipped beneath the surface and watched your legs kicking through the water, arms fluttering. In the underwater silence I considered how many more years we’ll have just like this.

I thought the clouds would open up on us, or that the thunder would roll as it has so often lately, but instead they parted and the sun shone down on us. We celebrated, of course, by swimming even longer, and I played every game you invented, and gave five more minutes each time you asked until we were all so tired and hungry.

I wrapped each of you in warm towels, your pool-reddened eyes so full of summery joy, then we sat and ate a perfect summer meal together. Just me and you, my small, amazing people. You are the ones who bring such endless joy into my life. You’re the ones who make me work harder to be better, to know more, to help you become the people you want to become. You are the sweet beings in whom I see all my dreams come true. I am so lucky to be your mom.

You are my heart. You’re my sunshine. You are the sing in my song.