Mommy special
Every day, my little L.E. Fant crawls into my lap, takes my face into her little hands and declares, "Mommy special!"

And I don't know which warms my heart more: her spontaneous affections or the fact she has been told she is special often enough for the word to be a treasured part of her developing vocabulary.

"L.E. special," I respond with a tickle. And her face beams.