I found my daughter’s note in my work pocket

Dear Delyara, I was reaching for my ID badge and pulled out a folded piece of paper instead. It was one of those tiny notes children write in five seconds and somehow mean with their whole body. She had drawn a heart, written “Good day Mum,” and misspelled one word in a way that made it even harder to look at without feeling something. I just stood there in the staff room holding it. The thing is, the morning had been awful. One child was late, the other couldn’t find a shoe, I burned the toast, and by the time I got to work I already felt emotionally overused. Then that note appeared out of my pocket like a quiet interruption from the softer part of my life. It didn’t fix anything. It did remind me that I am more than the person carrying bags, answering messages, and reacting to other people’s urgency. I needed that more than I realised.