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Moms are superheroes, but their everyday powers, unlike those of the beloved fictional protectors, too often go unnoticed. For Mother’s Day this year, the Well desk invited 12 moms to put their modesty aside and write essays about a special strength that they possess. That got us wondering about the parenting skills of our own colleagues on the Well desk — what special maternal powers do they have? Here are a few of their responses.
Producing smiles, one napkin at a time
When my three kids were little, I used to draw pictures for them on the paper napkins that I put into their lunchboxes for preschool. I drew the Cookie Monster, Elmo or whatever characters they requested. My own mom had occasionally written notes on napkins for me when I was a kid — just something like “Have a great day” — and they made me smile. So even when my kids were too young to read notes, I tried to use drawings as a way to pass along the smiles, to remind them they were loved even when they weren’t with me. —