Exacting, exasperating, exhausting, rich, awe-inspiring, transforming-all are accurate partial descriptions of the high calling of parenthood, a calling from the Universe to marvel before its evolution reenacted, a calling from the Earth to nurture and embolden the children she entrusts, calls eliciting from parents all the intelligence, heart, imagination and spirit they can muster that they might mold nothing less than the future. Deep Joy, Steep Challenge witnesses to the arduous bliss of parenting a child, inviting other parents to remember their hundred good reasons to fret, their thousand good reasons to sing.