Every time I have to go out of town for work, I turn into an emotional pretzel…I’m sure many of you can relate. But whenever possible, I try to spend the morning with my daughter and take her to school before flying out.

And earlier this week, the Amazon Santa delivered STICKERS, and my daughter loves decorating her water bottles with princesses, Pokemon, and pretty much anything cute.

As we were decorating this morning, she asked if she could decorate my drinking vessel, which is a thermos I received at a company event. After brushing aside my initial jolt of paranoia that I might be fired for obfuscating the company logo, I watched with adoring affection as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, and other friends transformed my Corporate Cup into a Whimsical Wonderland.

“Do you like your cup, Dad?”

“I LOVE it! Now whenever I drink water I’ll think of you!”

Keenly aware of my incessant commitment to hydration, she said, “Well, you’re going to be thinking of me pretty much all the time then!”

Without a doubt, my love. Whether I’m drinking water, running on mountain trails, or fearlessly navigating the remotest corners of LipidLand, I’m thinking of you. Because no matter where my adventures take me, my heart is always with you