Kids, they break your heart

She had a deadline of 9:00 this morning, and despite multiple warnings, she had ignored it because she had a cold and didn't feel well. Maybe there was a little bit of defiance in there too. I went to bed at 11, sure that the deadline would be missed. But no, when I woke up to use the bathroom (too much information?) at 3, there she was toiling away. When I got up again at 6 (really have to stop drinking tea in the evenings), there she was, putting on the finishing touches. Cheerfully pulling an all-nighter on her school break to complete a huge job requiring sustained and intense focus—my daughter at 19 amazes me with her stick-to-itiveness and touches me with her desire to meet our demands. I'm embarrassed how delighted and optimistic she makes me feel right now. Like sunshine on a cloudy day. Sure, it was just a jigsaw puzzle (1,500 pieces, though!) that had to be returned to its box before my house cleaner arrived—but it says something about her ability and willingness to soldier on, no?