If I Had Tonight To Live Over Again...

...when Afton came running out of her room and peered cutely at me around the corner until I noticed her and then put out her adorable arms and said "Hold?" I would scoop her up and instead of just smiling at her and walking her back to bed like I did I would bring on to the couch with me. I would snuggle her and listen to her talk about babies and dogs and ducks and cups. If she asked me for a cup I would get her one without even trying to remember how much milk or juice she had already had today. Instead of thinking, "I know she is precious, but she needs to learn to stay in bed. We must have order" I would think, "I know I was looking forward to relaxing, but I need to make the most of these precious days. They go by so fast." Instead of basking in the silence of an empty living room I would bask in the brilliance of my daughter's sweet wide eyed innocence. The kind that just won't last forever. If I had tonight to live over I might even let her stay up until Daddy got home. What would it have hurt? And she wouldn't have made it that long anyway. All she really wanted was ten minutes more and if I had tonight to live over again I would have given them to her. It wouldn't have hurt anything. It wouldn't have spoiled her for life. She may have been a little more tired tomorrow morning and she may have tried it again tomorrow night. No permanent damage though, only permanent good. If I had tonight to live over again I would live it differently. Instead I will take this lesson with me into tomorrow.