The day four assignment for Writing 101 was to write about a loss.  I’ve had a lot of loss in my life, from my parents and grandparents to my first marriage and more.  Loss is part of life, though not necessarily the most fun part.  And sometimes, what we gain more than makes up for what we’ve lost.

Take sleep, for instance.  I have children, therefore I do not sleep.  Or to be more precise, I no longer sleep as much as I would like.

I no longer have my evenings and weekends to myself, because I’m taking care of little people and shuttling slightly bigger little people to sports practices and piano lessons and birthday parties and all those other fun things that kids like to do.

I no longer have the luxury of privacy, because Cricket and Thumper believe me to be their servant, created solely to give them whatever they want five minutes ago.  Apparently when I became a mother, I also became a clairvoyant genie.  Who knew?

Despite the sleep deprivation and the loss of my privacy, I wouldn’t trade my kids for anything.  I’ve gained so much by knowing them, watching them learn and grow and question, and I love them all so very, very much.

If there’s anything in life more precious than the love of a child, I have yet to discover it.  And I’m not sure I want to.

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