There is pride.

And there is love.

And then there is the feeling that is the overwhelming blend of the two.  A feeling you don’t know or understand or recognise until you become a parent.

On thinking on it further, there are hints of gratitude and overtones of complete joy.

And a teeny, tiny drop of fear.  A twinge that threatens to darken this beautiful feeling and that you have to squash.

And you have to in order to really take pleasure as the feeling washes over you and through you.

Each time you look on a curve of a nose or cupids bow, admire the long lashes or sparkle in their eyes, feel the touch of their soft skin and know that you played a part in the perfection creation.

The sensation only intensifies when you appreciate and recognise the person they are becoming; something they are doing all by themselves as their character matures, as they accomplish little milestones and learn skills.

I have always dreamt of the day our boys would keep up with us and even surpass us on the slopes.  Today they did that.  Confident and laughing, Braving steeper slopes, off piste and on.

That feeling, the special feeling, that I struggle to describe, made me grin all day as I ate their dust!