Love you forever

I was at a friend's baby shower today, and she had a children's book theme. Everyone brought one or more of their favorite children's books. All the food and favors were children's book themed too. 

I love this theme, of course, because I love children's books and my mom did too (how can you not when you work at an independent children's bookstore?).

After the shower my friends and I spent some time reading through some of our favorite books. Books like The Napping House and The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon. And a book I had completely forgotten - Love You Forever. 

Love You Forever is a book about a mom who through the years rocks her sleeping son back and forth and sings "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

She sings this to him as he grows up, even when he's an adult and living on his own. (I'll ignore the fact that to do this she sneaks in through his bedroom window.)

One day, when the mother is old and very sick, she calls her son, and he goes to his mother, and he picks her up and sings "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my Mommy you'll be."

I know that as long as my mom was living she loved me, liked me, and saw me as her baby. And now (or really a month ago) I pick her up and sing to her: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my Mommy you'll be."