At the ripe age of 26, I find many of my friends, family members and colleagues joining the ranks of parenthood with their first little angel. Or poop monster, I think poop monster is a more accurate term.

The one common thread I have encountered across my dealings with new parents is the way they describe their love for their child. They explain that it is so all encompassing, this love that smacks you in the face. A love they do not doubt or question or wonder if the baby just isn't all that into them. It is primal and immediate. Easily the purest and most beautiful form of love.

I have to admit though, I don't think this love exists solely within the parents of a newborn child. As an aunt, I feel I have experienced the full weight of this love multiple times, and I couldn't be more grateful.

Recently a friend and I were discussing a day she spent with her niece in which she felt completely awe struck at the love in her heart and how it multiplied with each interaction they had. She asked me if it was normal or if I understood what she meant, and I couldn't help but agree.

The first time I met my first niece I remember feeling breathless when reveling in the strength of her little grip around my index finger. I was in awe of the way her eyes perused the room, surely not seeing much clearly. I felt a warmth inside of me that I never even knew existed. From the first moment I held her, I knew that I loved her unconditionally.

Luckily for me my siblings are pretty fruitful and I've gotten to experience this joy on more than on occasion. Something about holding another human that you know shares a fraction of your DNA makes loving them come so easily it feels as if this love is what you were meant for.

So I know you must be thinking, this bitch is crazy. Has she never been in love before? Well sure I have! But romantic love and the love I'm describing to you here are really impossible to compare. I have a relationship now with a man who may very well help me bring children into this world, but the love I feel for him is nothing like my love for my nieces.

Would I jump into a pit of fire or in front of a speeding car for my SO? Honestly, not even a little bit. Does that make me cold? Maybe. But I sure as shit wouldn't think twice about making the same sacrifice if it was in relation to protecting my nieces.

So sure, parents, you definitely love your kid a million times more than their aunts and uncles. But our love for your little angels (poop monsters) carries a special weight in our hearts. Thank you for blessing us with an incredible love, with a fraction of the responsibility.