Be still my heart

What sweet days, made all the sweeter by the ever looming threat and reality of our daughters’ childhood days flying away from us, even as we grasp onto them. Last Saturday Chris and I both spent such sweet times with our girls playing school. Noelle was the teacher, of course, and Chloe, the ever helpful assistant handing us shreds of purple tissue paper as we sat on chairs learning how to be fancy. "Look around and write down one thing that's fancy and one thing that's plain," Noelle commanded, and of course we obliged, then she put us down for a nap during which Chris was disciplined for not keeping his hands to himself. Noelle joined us in nap time, first scratching both our backs, then resting as I scratched hers. And just when no one thought it could get any better, Noelle bit down on Chloe's princess dress for some inexplicable reason, and as Chloe jumped back, Noelle's front top tooth was yanked irretrievably out of her mouth. Of course, that was a very dramatic moment, quelling the possible loss of blood along with a frantic search for what turns out to be a miniscule tooth somewhere in the beige carpet downstairs. Chris left for Germany that night, so the tooth fairy business was left to me, always a mistake as I can't help but shower her with candy and too much money under her pillow. "For her bravery alone," I tell myself leaving the room.

 

Then sweet Noelle, seeing Chloe downcast the next morning as a search under her three-year-old pillow yielded nothing, found another tooth upstairs that the "tooth fairy left behind" (oops), and played tooth fairy to her little sister that included candy and a very sweet little card.

 

The weekend was made even more special by a trip to see "Princess and the Frog," a movie about an enterprising young lady in New Orleans who dreams of owning her own restaurant, so naturally both girls must act out their own story by setting up a special little restaurant of their own in our basement. It was so very fun and creative that I couldn't say no when Noelle asked if we could eat our breakfast of pancakes and syrup in the new basement. As we ate, I was rewarded richly just by being with both of my beautiful girls, but then Noelle tells me how special it is that I "entered their world" by playing with them today.

 

Be still my heart.

Comments

[Robin L]

Melissa,
That was a very sweet story! Thanks so much for sharing. Now I know what I am missing, not having daughters!
~Robin