Amanda Lamb: Hug Chloe

I keep small notepads in my car with sticky backs to remind myself of important things I need to remember to do. In this day and age of digital calendars, you would think that I would have enough reminders, but truth be told sometimes I need a bright yellow note right in front of me to cut through all the noise the Internet brings to our fingertips.

The pads are usually something I have snagged from my girls’ rooms, so the notes tend to be colorful, often adorned with glitter or shaped like hearts. At this particular moment in time, I am using a rainbow colored pad with notes shaped like stars.

The other day, I got in my car to take my younger daughter to school and on my dash board next to “gas” and “milk” was a note that said “Hug Chloe.”

“I see your note, how did you think I would forget to do that?” I said smiling and adjusting the rear view mirror so I could see her sweet face in the passenger seat behind me.

“Sometimes you get busy and forget,” she said, grinning. “Now, you won’t forget anymore!”

“No, I won’t,” I replied, reaching back around the seat with my right hand to grab her fingers and give them a squeeze. “Thanks for the reminder. Mommy needed that.”

And, as much as I would like to deny it, sometimes parents do need to be reminded of these simple tasks in life that are much more important than filling up with gas or swinging by the grocery store to get milk.

The note is still on my dashboard, and that’s where it’s going to stay.