Today was the first day that Oisín told me I was beautiful. It was very sudden and special, and it happened all while I was scrambling to get him into the car and was holding too many things, desperate for a sip of my too hot coffee resting on top of the car.

As I scooped him up, he said “Beautiful!” at nothing in particular. And I excitedly replied “Oisín is beautiful!” to which he exclaimed “Sophie beautiful!”, referring to his day care friend, or maybe a long repressed love of his favorite toy, Sophie the Giraffe who hasn’t been seen in months. We briefly continued naming things that were beautiful in a high pitched yell while standing on the sidewalk with morning traffic whizzing by. “Mum beautiful!” he shouted next. Heart melting, what a precious child. “Dad is beautiful!” I added. “Raisins beautiful!” he immediately concluded, quite seriously.

The game was over and the results were in. We were as beautiful as dehydrated grapes.