Many months back my middle daughter had trouble separating from her Dad. She would cling to him each day before he left for work, often times only letting go while kicking and screaming. I understand this affinity for her father as I, too, often feel like clinging to him and never letting him leave. After prying her from Daddy's arms she would, very sadly, kiss her daddy and bigger brother goodbye before they left for work and school.

   One particularly trying morning, after waving goodbye from the window, we came into my room to look at pictures of her and her daddy, a way to ease the transition. As we sat there mulling over our countless photo albums I said "Oh, it's so sad that Daddy and Nova have left." Ember looked up at me teary eyed. She then said "Daddy took Nova to school dis mawning and then, he will take himselves to work..." and choking back tears, she says "there are pieces of us missing." How articulate for someone with so little life experience. We each have a place in this family that can be filled by no one else. Despite the daily chaos and difficulty, each of us would not be complete without the other!