Baking Cookies at Midnight

Sometimes it's brownies at 11 pm. Sometimes it's cookies at midnight. Sometimes it's chocolate milk at 1 am. Sometimes it's a sandwich at two. Sometimes I'm so tired I just don't think I have anything left to give, but I manage to dig down deep for the energy to do that one more thing I need to do for them before I go to sleep.

Life wasn't always like this. Once upon a time I would have told them it was too late, and they should have eaten more of their dinner. Then I heard Dianna Jenner's story. A couple of years ago her daughter, Hannah was diagnosed with cancer. A few days later, she was dead.

Anytime I have to clean up one more toy, wipe up one more spill, fix one more sandwich, I think of Dianna. She would give anything to be able to clean up one more mess or fix one more sandwich at 2 am. I realize how lucky I am to have that paint spilled all over the floor and those crumbs on the couch. It just means I have children in my life. I don't have to clean their messes - I get to clean them.

If I were to find myself standing in Dianna's shoes, would it matter how polite and well behaved my children were? What would I miss? What would I regret? I have a feeling I'd miss baking cookies at midnight.