Probably my favorite working-mom blog is My Mom Genes. I made the mistake of reading it on a break from my meetings in Seattle last week, and came across a post called Reassurance, where one of the writers talks about watching a slideshow put together by her three-year-old daughter's daycare teachers:
"...we were getting a glimpse into who our children are when we’re not with them. My husband and I saw [our daughter] in a different light. This is who she is when she’s out in the world. Here, she’s not holding our hands, and she’s not being guided by our direction. She’s smiling, sharing, climbing, running, creating... she shines."
It was a mistake to read this at that moment because it made me tear up while surrounded by all my co-workers. Thinking about my baby girl, too, being out in the world. Not holding my hand, not being guided by my direction. And from the occasional glimpse I get, she shines as well.
Hubby and I got more than just a glimpse tonight. Littles got her very first invite to a birthday party for a preschool classmate. The birthday girl was K, who is one of Littles' best friends at school. A lot of other kids from school were there, along with one of the teachers.
As I watched Littles over the course of the evening, it dawned on me: This is who she is when she's out in the world.
I often joke that she was super-active in utero and and hasn't slowed down since, but tonight, I saw her sit quietly next to her teacher with her legs crossed and watch a magic show. I thought back to when Hubby and I first visited her preschool, and how we were amazed to see all the kids sitting quietly during circle time. "Littles will be the one running laps around the room while the other kids sit," we smirked. But out in the world, she does sit.
She climbed out of my lap at dinner and went to chat for a few minutes with a girl named A. Hubby and I compared notes as to what we knew about A -- really, very little, except that she's not in Littles' class but does attend extended care with Littles (after the school day ends at 2 PM). Even though Hubby and I barely know A, she and Littles clearly know each other well. Out in the world, Littles is making friends, all on her own.
Littles is normally shy in large group situations like this one, particularly around adults. Not tonight. The kids all made paper "corsages" and I watched Littles go up to multiple strangers to say, "Look at this! Look at my flower!" Out in the world, without my legs to hide behind, she's outgoing and friendly.
Another excerpt from the My Mom Genes post:
"I’m happy to report that my daughter is a little girl whom I -- and others -- love to spend time with, and will be a woman I can’t wait to know."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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