Finger Smudges

I took this photo of the fridge, a week ago. (It illustrates why smart moms avoid pricey stainless steel appliances in their kitchen.) I snapped the photo with the realization that wiping away these smudges, these fingerprints of little hands that are becoming more and more independent, is a part of my everyday. It illustrates the small incessant tasks that largely go unnoticed, but expend tremendous energy in their culmination. To all you moms who sigh and ask, "What did I accomplish?" at the end of the day when you face a sink full of dishes, grimy counters, strewn junk mail and child's doodles, sandy floors, more laundry in front of the washer, and tooth paste splattered mirrors, I know. There is generally no reward when we look at what we accomplished. The reward is when we look into those upturned faces, ready for one last kiss, one more hug, one more drink of water, one more tuck of the bed covers, one more I love you at the end of the day.