Naps at school have disappeared this year. It’s a straight-through-the-day affair for the Girl. Add to it the fact that the more academic portion of the day is in the afternoons this year, and it’s clear that some days, it’s all she can do to keep from falling asleep in the car during the short ride home.

“Tata, can I take a little nap when we get home?” she sometimes asks. “Sweetie, you need to take a short nap when we get home,” I occasionally suggest. Either way, the result is the same: she curls up on the living room couch and is asleep within moments.

These are the moments that I value the most. That’s not a sarcastic comment about the peace and quiet a nap brings. It’s a statement about the incredible miracle that occurs when someone trusts you so fully that she’ll let you guide her to a soft spot and know without asking that you’ll cover her up.