17. My Toddler’s Laugh Saved My Day

It started out as a day I just wanted to get through. You know the kind—where the baby won’t nap, the toddler is clingy, and your patience wears thin by breakfast. Every little thing felt hard. I was overstimulated, overtired, and just… over it.

Then, mid-meltdown (hers and mine), my toddler dropped her spoon, looked up at me, and let out this absolutely unhinged, contagious giggle. The kind that starts in the belly and explodes out like a song. She laughed so hard she hiccupped. I didn’t even know what was funny.

But I laughed too. And then I cried. And then I laughed while crying. Because somehow, in that one ridiculous moment, something cracked open in me.

That laugh reminded me what this is all for.

It reminded me that even in the most frustrating, thankless days, joy can sneak in through the back door. It reminded me that my child doesn’t care if the house is clean or if I made a gourmet lunch. She just wants me. My smile. My presence.

Sometimes parenting feels like too much. And then, somehow, your child gives you exactly what you needed. Without knowing. Without trying. Just by being themselves.

Her laugh saved me that day. Not by fixing anything—but by reminding me that joy is still here. Waiting to be noticed.