As I was rushing around running errands in Boulder, fighting Prius’ for parking spots at Whole Foods, sipping on my latte from Winot Coffee, I found myself thinking about just how lucky I am to be living this life. But even more, how lucky I am to have my mom. Growing up I gave her a run for her money (to say the least) — I’m nervous for my son’s teenage years to come, as Karma can be a real treat.

Every Monday my mom spends half a day watching Miles while I work, run errands, and even sneak in a run to clear my mind. Most of my friends in Boulder with children aren’t so lucky. Their parents live thousands of miles away and only get to visit their grandchildren a couple times a year. My mom sold her house in Vermont, left her job, and moved 2000 miles just to be closer to her daughters and her new grandson when he was just a year old. Now, I’m not going to lie, I was nervous that we would drive each other crazy …. but it turned out to be quite the opposite. We have grown closer and I have a new found appreciation and respect for her now that I’m finding myself doing the same things for my son that she did for my sister and I growing up. And she was a single mom, working several jobs just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. There’s no way I could do what she did for us. I couldn’t be happier that she made the move to be nearer. There’s something truly priceless about walking into the house to the sound of contagious laughter from both my mom and Miles. For that, I am forever grateful. Love you mom.