There are days...

when one questions their ability to parent a child. When your six year old rolls his eyes at you and stalks off in a huff, or your two year old screams, "Nooooooooooooooooooooo!" at the top of her lungs when she does not want to do your bidding...

Yes, we all have those days. And of late, this seems to be more the norm than not for me. But today changed things.

We took a late drive to Leamington tonight to have a quick visit with my dad. Aili had not had a nap, and Connor had not gotten much sleep the night before, at a sleep-over with his pal, Liam. The visit was short but sweet, and on our way home, my wonderful husband, without me saying a word, turned into the cemetary where my mother is resting. It was on my mind, having not been able to drive out there this week for her birthday.

As we pulled up, I asked Connor if he wanted to come with me. Gary stayed in the car with Aili. As we approached her tombstone, we noticed that Dad had left a card for Mom, and in it, under the pre-printed lines, "and I love you", he had written "For ever". This brought tears to my eyes, as my father has never been overly affectionate but had other ways of letting you know that he loved you.

Connor asked what the card was for and when I explained that Nonno had put it there for Nonna's birthday, he fell silent for a moment. Then he took off the bracelet that he had received earlier that day, walked over to her tombstone and placed it over the lamp and said, "Happy Birthday, Nonna".

As he walked away towards the car, I began to cry silently, thanking God for that little sign that I am doing something right in raising such a loving, compassionate child.