Dear Dr. Laura,

I have been a stay-at-home mother since my 7 1/2-year-old daughter was born. I also have a son who is almost six.

As my kids have been getting older, I’ve been thinking (and getting excited about) the possibility of working outside the home. My oldest is in school full-time, but my youngest won't be until September. I've been keeping an eye on the newspapers. I've been thinking about the paycheck. What will I do? Won't it be nice? I've been thinking about the new work clothes I'll need... People keep asking me when I'm going back to work. (I've been told many times that I'm wasting my degree staying at home).

Today when I got home from picking my son up from school, he fell and bonked his head. The poor little guy was crying and I swooped down and scooped him up.  He wrapped his little arms around my neck and stopped crying IMMEDIATELY. It occurred to me that no one else on this planet could have calmed him down as fast as I did. No one. Not even my husband.

We went inside the house and I made lunch. As we were eating, he asked me "Mommy, were you the first person I saw?" I said "Yes I was." And then asked me, "Is that why I love you so much?" That is my paycheck. Nothing on this earth could be more rewarding than this.

Sincerely,

Julie