When I was little, whenever my dad would take me and whoever of my siblings was old enough out someplace, and my mom would offer to stay home with whoever was too young to go, I was always horrified. I would beg my mom to come with us, I would offer to help with whoever was the youngest so she could come too, and I couldn’t understand why she seemed so content to stay home while we were out doing something fun.

Today my husband is taking the older two to see the new Mario movie at the cinema. The baby is too little to sit through a movie so I stayed at home with him. He’s down for his nap, and I’m sitting in the quiet with a candle, a cup of tea, a slice of cake, my knitting, and a murder mystery.

I get it now, Mom.