Yes, it is Friday once again. Seems like it rolls around a little bit earlier each and every week. Lisa-Jo’s invitation still stands and now about 200 folks are signing in each week with their 5 minute, unscripted, unedited posts on the prompt of the day. Just writing, whether it’s ‘just right’ or not. So, in a minute, I’ll set the timer and see what comes. Try it – you’ll like it!
Prompt this week: TENDER
The sweetest feet on the planet belong to this girl.
Are these the cutest or what??
Are these the cutest or what??
Go:
She was only about 18 months old,
already talking a blue streak
and often including some of her
newly learned vocabulary
in the ‘project’ of the moment.
That day, she was playing with two of her
favorite ‘dolls’ –
a very old, very dingy Cabbage Patch infant,
and a somewhat larger
orange-haired Zoe doll
(you know, the character from Sesame Street)
which she inexplicably insisted was
really Abby
(another character from that life-and-sanity-saving bit of television history).
We’d taken her in the yard for a walk earlier
that day, in a stroller I found somewhere
for a good price,
and it was still sitting in the living room,
waiting to be scooted out of sight
after Lilly went home.
She immediately commandeered it,
placing her two friends neatly into the
seat, adjusting their clothes a little,
making sure each one was comfortable.
From that day on,
Baby and Zoe were in that stroller
every Wednesday and many Fridays.
The day I am remembering happened
the week following her initial discovery of this grand new addition to
the week following her initial discovery of this grand new addition to
her child-care game.
Her daddy dropped her off, as usual,
and, after helping herself to Poppy’s breakfast,
checking out a few additional toys
in the baskets we keep for her,
she found her way to the stroller,
not aware that I was watching.
Carefully and tenderly,
she bent over one side.
“You okay?” she asked Baby.
Waiting a beat, as if for an answer,
she walked around to the other side,
leaned in again and said,
“You okay?”
Apparently they were both doing fine.
But I was struck by how very early our children
begin to mimic what we do, what we say.
begin to mimic what we do, what we say.
How many times had her parents, her sister,
her other grandparents, we ourselves – how many times had we leaned over her,
her other grandparents, we ourselves – how many times had we leaned over her,
carefully and tenderly, and said,
“You okay, Lil? You doin’ okay?”
It’s lovely to see that sometimes,
sometimes,
parents and grandparents get it right!
STOP
I got interrupted by a phone call, so this one probably got about 2 extra minutes (and a few edits here and there, too).
Ah yes…they are watching and what we model is so important. And I love their innate tenderness. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful. As I read, I kept telling myself she was mimicking the loving attention she got from her parents and grandparents. My heart soars!
Linda
Adorable! Love this. I really enjoy all your posts and am so blessed by them …..THANKS!!