It was a very long time ago, in a creaky old house, where my brother, sister and I would peer down the stairs through the banister and share with my parents that magical saying that was part tradition, part superstition, part love, protection and faith. We’d quietly shout that one long sentence that was all those things and more. “Night, I love ya, see ya in the mornin’,” we’d say as if it were a single word,and wait for it to be repeated back to us before we could run off to climb into beds and feel safe and warm. Now as a father, I share this magical saying with my son, as I watch him charge through life with the excitement and confidence that all he needs in this world is mommy and daddy and his best stuffy to loudly and boldly take on the world.

Good Night, I Love You, See You in the Morning by Timothy W. Hall is available at Amazon.com.