Goodnight. I love you.

Four words that melted my heart and completely nullified the fact that it was 3 am. And now it is just shy of 1 am, but that is irrelevant to this post. A few nights ago, I was awakened from a deep sleep by my oldest daughter as she quietly called out to me, saying, "Mommy, could you come here a moment?" Despite that fact that my left side and ribs screamed at me not to move (I was and am still experiencing pain from a condition called pleurisy that developed after a serious bout of the dreaded swine flu, again besides the point) and being all but 30 weeks pregnant with my 5th child (important because I am most definitely bigger at this point in my pregnancy than I was with my first child), so despite being in that state, her sweetly calling for me in a full sentence in the middle of the night was a perfect recipe for not being able to resist peeling myself out of my bed to see what it was that she needed. After I half hobbled to her room as my back and legs figured out how to work again, and slowly kneeled beside her bed, I asked what it was that she needed. Her simple, yet matter of fact reply in a voice sweeter than chocolate that just melted my heart was, "Good night Mommy. I love you." A kiss followed, and her eyes closed as she instantly drifted back to sleep.

I paused. Partly because I didn't know what to feel or think, and partly, ok maybe mostly, because my body was still not fully functioning. I think my first thought was..."That was it? You woke me up at 3 am to tell me good night?" By the way, I did tuck her before she went to sleep; it had been a normal (if normal exists) evening in our house, and I didn't miss saying goodnight earlier in the evening.

But then it hit me. It was more than good night. It was also I love you. I don't know, nor will probably never know, what sometimes stirs my little princesses at night. But the truth that what was important to my 5 year old daughter, at 3 in the morning no less, was saying good night to me and making sure I knew she loved me. And that more than touched my heart. And though painfully tearing myself from my cozy bed and a satisfying sleep in the middle of the night is not something I long to do each night, I was reminded that "These ARE the Moments" that I will remember. They are moments that I treasure. They are moments that I thank God for. And that night was the final inspiration that led me to finally create this blog.

I don't know what moments are yet to come, but I look forward to them, knowing that God is orchestrating my life (and yours). Though it may not always sound like a symphony, I will choose God as my conductor (except when I don't, because let's be honest and authentic here, we sometimes try to lead our own lives and don't even invite God to the concert). None the less, I know that God is in control of these moments.

So, good night. I love you.