I've never stared at a face longer than I've stared at this little boy's. In fact, I'm so familiar with the contours of his precious countenance that I find myself feeling less familiar with my own face when I see it in the mirror. I'm sure it's true that I've looked at my son's face much more than I've ever looked at myself or anyone else...because who else I have watched eat or sleep for countless hours on end, loving every second of it? In all this, I've memorized every emotion his face may show. Sometimes I feel like I know this little boy better than I know myself.
And, wow, parents aren't kidding when they say that their child is the best thing that has ever happened to them in life. Nothing is as satisfying as the joy I feel in being Liam's mother. Bearing his life, welcoming him into this world, and sustaining him now with nourishment, comfort, and love beats everything else that I've ever done in life. All the accolades earned, accomplishments achieved, mountains climbed, and successes obtained do not compare even in the slightest to the joy of being his mother.
This face--this precious face of a unique, never-to-be-repeated child of God--is my legacy. And, as my mother happened to tell me today:
Children are the living messages we send
to a time we will not see.
