The Mother Bear

These photos tug at my mommy heartstrings like no others.

They may not tell much of a story to an outsider - but to me, they speak volumes.

They were taken as Nadia struggled to regain her confidence after her traumatizing moment with the geese.

In these images, I see my baby girl's valiant attempt to bravely walk out onto that dock...and I see the tiny nuances of trepidation in her body language.

They make me want to gather my sweet girl to me, to sweep her into an enormous hug, to smother her in love and protect her from anything and everything that could cause her harm or pain.

In fact, that's why there are only four image in the series.

After that last click of the shutter, I swooped.

I gathered her into a bear hug and held her tight.

She squeezed back, clearly confident in her mother's ability to keep her safe.

If only all of life's crisises could be resolved so simply.