[BONUS UNSENT EDITION] “Was There a Time When Mommy Was Sad and Then When She Looked At Me She Felt Much Better?”

Yes, Kina, you have always been the best in bad times

Before I say this, I want to make perfectly clear that nobody should have a child to make themselves feel better; in that general direction can be found countless hours of therapy—for children and their parents both.

HOWEVER:

There is something profoundly comforting about the rush of oxytocin we get from looking at Kina after a hard day. The overwhelming sense of love and adoration, held up next to the adrenaline of conflict or stress, carries with it a strange sense of purpose. Everything takes on greater meaning when you’re hugging a six-year-old; it has to.

We’re both really grateful for this little mood stabilizer.

dad