Mother’s love grows by giving.

— Charles Lamb

This week I find myself writing from a small Italian cafe in the Old Italy section of San Diego, Calif. To my left is my eldest daughter, a third grade school teacher on spring break. Mr. Klope is giving a presentation to Navy planners; I am taking advantage of a rare opportunity to spend time with our daughter. We found the cafe on an iPhone restaurant locator. The GPS guided us as we walked some streets away from our hotel.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have her all to myself for any extended amount of time. It was seven  years ago that my husband and I moved her into a tiny, 3-person dorm room on the UW campus. That was the day the mother of one roommate walked in, announcing to everyone that their room arrangement just wouldn’t do! It wasn’t feng shui. Today there is nothing in our way to prevent the flow of positive energy. No schedules. No meals to prepare. Nobody else to divide our attentions. It’s just us; sitting in a small courtyard surrounded by sunshine, gentle conversation, and 70 degree weather.

It’s a pleasure to watch her relax. Most of the time when I see her she is in motion in her classroom. She is teacher, social worker, and daytime mother to a class of 26 nine year olds. Today she has an iced latte and a beautiful salad situated around The Great Gatsby. She was required to read it when English teacher Mark Winford assigned it during high school. Today she reads it for sheer pleasure.

Reading to her was something I took great pleasure doing when she was tiny. Like most parents, I had many of her favorite book memorized. So did she. There was no page skipping back then. When I took her to story time at the library she always ran to sit in the front, her little blond head looking up with such eagerness. I hoped all those collective moments would engender a love for reading. Now I see it has.

Sometimes we must push our kids are little. Just like the mother hippo did at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday when we visited. Born just three weeks earlier, a large crowd of moms, dads, grandparents, and children watched in fascination as the mother gently nudged her new baby toward the large swimming pool, the centerpiece of their zoo home. With barely a splash they were in and we pressed our noses against the glass to take in the sight.

The baby resembled a chubby football. Uncoordinated yet eager, she moved her legs as her mother pushed her along with her nose. Every couple of minutes that large nose would move underneath her and push her to the surface where both took quick gulps of air. Then down again they would submerge to swim and play. The crowd of kids clapped. Parents sighed. Our hearts filled with love.