I went to the dentist this week, and the hygenist asked if I had any children.

“Yes, I have five.”

“Five? Well, you look pretty good for having five kids.”

Am I supposed to take this as a compliment?

My 18-month old loves to pull books off the bookshelf right next to my computer. Today, she walked around the house carrying a paperback book she couldn’t let go of. She sat in the floor and “read” it for a while, babbling and turning the pages.

The book? One I keep meaning to read when I have the time. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell. The subtitle is “How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.”

I thought about how my baby daughter is a little thing who’s made a big difference in my life. I wonder how many parents feel the same way. Becoming a parent is often a “tipping point” for many of us — we suddenly realize we can’t get through a day (a minute?) without God’s strength.