"Mommy, you know what?"
"What?"
"The world is a book."
"Oh, who told you that?"
"I 'scovered it myself.  And tomorrow and today are pages of the book.  And the Daddy reads it to all of the children and when it's done, that's the end of the book.  Then they die and the book is over."
"That's a very grown up way of looking at it.  Nobody told you this?  You discovered this yourself?"
"Yup!"
I stopped right there and looked down at this little girl.  Her clear blue eyes were gazing up at me through the slit between her toque and scarf with an honest comprehension that is rarely seen in adults, much less children.  And though obscured by the fog of her warm breath, I saw her.  Really saw her and I felt my heart skip.  How she amazes me!  How lucky I am to have this incredible little person in my life.  How much we learn from each other!  I did not notice if cars slowed to see a grown person kneeling in the snow clutching the little pink-clad child to her.  All that mattered was that moment when everything was so clear and matter-of-fact.  So understood.  The moment our eyes met.
My God, how did my little baby get so grown up?