I am not sure if anyone ever bothered to tell me the secret. I thought being a mother was cool and challenging, mostly rewarding, sometimes terrifying -- always breath-taking. . . but being a Nana is the most amazing thing. It is the perfect crème brule after a wonderful meal; it is the juiciest, reddest cherry on top of a Ben & Jerry's sundae, it is finally getting to the top of the mountain after an incredible hike, it is what I imagine heaven to be like.
I'm not sure what happens when your child has a child, but it is something magical. It's as if all of a sudden, you have new eyes and a new heart -- both are much softer and much less worried. There is some crazy algorithm at work and sometimes it takes my breath away at how much I love these little creations of my creation. It is not that I think they are perfect -- actually, I know that they are not, and I love every ounce of naughtiness, all the silliness, every spot on their clothes, every lost tooth, and every sloppy kiss. Every time they say, "NANA" -- I fall in love all over again.
