When asked about my favorite book of all time, my answer is always the same:
“Love You Forever”, by Robert Munsch
It is the most beautiful picturebook.
I remember when I first read this story. Actually, my mom read it to me. We were in the waiting room of my pediatrician’s office, as she first recited,
“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living,
My baby you’ll be”

But, that isn’t my most vivid or powerful  “Love you Forever” memory.
Nor is the time that I recited the book as my “tellable tale” to the entire middle school.
I won’t forget either of those special times,
But, they aren’t the most special.

My most poignant memory of “Love you Forever” was when my life changed,
for always.
My husband and I had just started dating. He came over to my parent’s house to meet my family, and I took him up to my childhood bedroom to show him where I had grown up.
And we ended up reading “Love You Forever”.
Together, we sat on my floor, and I read my favorite book to this man that I was getting to know,
And growing to love.
And we both cried.
With tears streaming down his face, he took the small blue book out of my hands and hugged me, thanking me for sharing my favorite story with him.
And it was then, in that moment, that I knew I wanted to have babies with this man.

And so, the story of our family began that day.
And I’ve been loving it,
And liking it,
Ever since.