"You're My Happiness"

Julia has been staying with "Mamita" (my mother, her grandmother) since Thursday this week. "Mamita" always loves having Julia around -- and Julia loves being around her too. You see, like every grandmother (or grandparent, for that matter) my mother spoils Julia no end.

"It's my job to spoil her... and your job to discipline her..." she always tells my wife and I.

Last night, while having dinner with my wife, my brother sent me a text message saying "Please call, Julia wants to talk to you".

And so I called.

As soon as she got on the phone, she started sniffing: "I want to go home now..." she cried.

"But I thought you wanted to stay with Mamita till Sunday?"

"No, I want to go home now -- because I miss you..."

"We'll be together again on Sunday when we pick you up."

"But I miss you... I want to be with you..."

I then said "Remember you promised Mamita that you will stay with her till Sunday? What do we do when we make promises?"

"We keep them", Julia answered.

"Don't you like being with Mamita?" I asked, pleased that I was making progress into getting her to calm down and stop crying.

"I do! But I want you to be with me" she said, still crying.

"I'm here -- and we'll be together again on Sunday. If you like being with Mamita, what's wrong then?" I asked.

"I want you to be with me because you're my happiness!"

My wife noticed that I had to choke down a tear or two.

Somehow, I finally got her to calm down and agree to stay with Mamita till Sunday.

"Julia, you're our happiness too. But you are also Mamita's happiness. You know she loves you... you know you bring her happiness. I want you to be her happiness too"

"Okay. We'll share our happiness" Julia replied between sniffs.

After that, we put down the phone.

"She told me the same thing earlier" my wife said. "She told me I was her happiness."

All we could do then was smile at each other and choke down a couple of tears of happiness and humility.

So here I am, doing what my daughter told me: "...share our happiness".

Hope I made you happy.