"Mama, are you there?"

From the very first time my daughter was big enough to go into a bathroom stall in a public bathroom by herself, she always wanted to be next to me.
She would stretch her foot out towards my stall and we would touch toes.

As she has gotten older and more independent, we sometimes go in separately.
If I enter after her, there is always that sweet voice "Mama, are you there?" or "Mama, is that you?".
Rather than answer, if I am next to her, I always slide my foot under the divider between stalls and receive a joyous foot tap that responds instantly to this acknowledgement that her Mama is indeed near her.

She's growing up, too fast it seems, and yet I love that this little gesture, that started when she was younger and needier, has continued as she ages.

It is this little way of saying "I love you" without actually saying it.

It's tiny little moments like these that mean so much and are the ones that I hope to always cherish.

Sometimes we want words, or big gestures of love. But really, it's these tiny, precious moments that warm our heart and actually mean the most.

Choosing to see these moments for what they truly are and treasuring them, that's my plan for life.

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