Dear Maisie,

Lately you have been blowing my mind. Take the other day for example. We were in the kitchen, you were perched up on that old rickety stool, elbows resting thoughtfully on the counter picking at the bowl of grapes in front of you. I was making dinner. "Mommy, does Great Grandma have a boy?" I had no idea what you meant, and I was thinking "a son? a boy??"

I said "what do you mean honey"

"You know, like Auntie Kaywee can marry Matt, you can marry daddy." My mind started spinning. You want to know where great grandmas husband is. I compose myself.

"Great Grandma had a husband, my grandpa. Don. You never got to meet Great Grandpa." I went into a big speech about hearts and when they stop beating. You hung your head and said "that makes me feel sad". I am in shock that I am actually having a life/death conversation with you, my three year old baby girl. We talk about how great it is to have a heartbeat, and about how funny great grandpa was, and that he loved to sing funny songs, grow things in the garden, make wine from his own grapes and golf.

Then you looked at me with your eyes full of magic "my heart is still beating"

"you bet it is, you've got a good heart baby girl"

then you said "baby Elliot has a good heart too" and you touch his chest. We carry on the conversation talking about how amazing hearts are, and our bodies and I chime in with my dear friend Mady's famous line "you've got two feet and a heartbeat" you start laughing so hard and then said "ya, and two arms and a heartbeat". {right, you are still a 3 year old}

Then, just like that you say "please I have some more grapes mommy". and our big conversation drifts back into every day chats.

You are an absolute gem Maisie Lu. I hope your thoughtful, curious nature always thrives. I hope you always have the courage to ask the big questions and I hope you always remember that as long as you wake up with a heart beat, you are doing alright.

{and, Great Grandpa would have LOVED you. No doubt about it.}

xoxo love you sweet girl,

mom.