Recognition

My morning routine now consists of waking up to the sound of Lana’s cries, scooping her out of her bassinet, unwrapping her from her Miracle Blanket (have I plugged that thing enough?), and preparing a bottle for her as fast as I can. Lana sticks out her lower lip the entire time in an expression that is sad but comical and cries feebly to let me know that she may actually starve to death if I don’t get a bottle into her mouth pronto.

Yesterday morning, however, marked a break from our routine. As I leaned over to pick up my crying baby, she broke into a beautiful, heart-melting smile the second she saw me. It was a smile that said, “I have a mommy and she won’t let me lie here and waste away!” It was a smile that made all the sleepless nights, the burst eardrums, and the sore boobs completely and totally worthwhile.

In the corporate world, managers like to say that recognition of a job well done is a more powerful motivator than compensation. I don’t believe for a second that anyone would work all day for nothing more than a pat on the head or a word of thanks from his or her boss. No one but a parent, that is.