There are few things that break my heart - in a good way -
like a crystallized moment with a child I love. I am an aunt to five great kids - three over 18 and two under 10 years. Recently, my
6-year-old niece "J" and her 9-year-old brother were visiting, and I
got them all to myself for a weekend. We spent Saturday at my pool, and all
around us, children were yelling for their moms to get them a towel, to come in the
water, to throw them a toy. J swam over, wrapped her little self around me,
cupped her hands to my ear and whispered "Can I call you Mom just while
we're at the pool?" Oh, geez. What a rush. (I told her it might hurt her
mother's feelings if she called me Mom, but I sure would love to have a little
girl like her.) Later, driving to a store with the kids in the back seat,
buoyed by the earlier "Mom-ent," I'm listening to the Jersey Boys'
"Oh What a Night," and rocking out as only someone with my hidden
talent is able to. The kids are having a blast, I can tell - they're laughing up a
storm together. Then I glance into the rear-view mirror and see J making fun of
me with her brother. And in that instant, I really did feel like someone's mom.
