Yesterday, Nate and I got word that a relative of his had committed suicide together with her boyfriend. She was 23.

She’s someone I had only met once. I had no relationship with her. Nate had no relationship with her. But people who care about her are people we care about. 

Writing that condolence note to her parents just about near broke me.

You know you’re a mother when you put yourself in the shoes of every parent who loses a child.  I can’t help but think that she used to be a baby in someone’s arms too. A toddler who took her first steps for the camera too. A little girl who went to her first day of kindergarten too.

All I wanted to do yesterday was get the hell out of the office, go home and hug my kids.

We watched Nickelodeon together. We sang songs. We talked about school and birds and bullies and magic tricks and ravioli. Sage fell asleep on the couch at 7:30. Thalia stayed up way too late.

God, I love them.