One Amazing Little Girl

I have to believe that there is at least one singular moment, as a parent, where you are able to look around, take stock and realize you've done right and raised one outstanding little human being.  Mine came this morning.  I might never be the same again.  It was that momentous.

My oldest is a people pleasing, studious, quiet and quirky little girl.  She tries so hard to make everyone happy, and I hope she understands sooner rather than later, that the way to make folks happiest is by making yourself happy first.  She's often overlooked by family and friends because she's beyond her years and doesn't have much of that bubbly kid magic that my younger two children have.  She's an old soul and struggles with fitting in.

What she has is a brilliance of mind that is dumbfounding and a purity of heart that is truly a rarity these days.  She is my pride and joy in so many ways that I struggle to convey it to her, because it is not for tangible reasons.

I've been very nostalgic and melancholy lately.  I miss my Grandmother very much.  She passed away near Thanksgiving and one of the only regrets I have in life is not listening to my inner voice and immediately flying 800+ miles to hug her one last time.  It's a long and complicated history I had with her (for a post some other day)...and I treasure everything of hers I'm able to hold onto to this day.

My mother, this week, found a necklace I long thought lost.  It holds no monetary value.  In fact, it's a piece of junk...but it's my piece of junk from her.  And it means more to me than words can describe.  With it came a long forgotten jewelry box that was dirty as all get out and some other costume pieces.

My husband and I had discussed buying our oldest a special jewelry box for her birthday this year.  Instead, I chose to hand along Grandma's jewelry box.  You'd have thought I had given this kid the Holy Grail.  She ran off and immediately moved the jewelry she had into this 'new' box.  That night I held my necklace and cried.

The next morning, I sent her an email to tell her what I was feeling right then, because I knew if I didn't - I would never remember to tell her by the time I got home [we set her up with an email address for this reason.  I'm out of the house before they get up in the morning, and rarely when I return home do I have the time out of our dinner-life routine to remember these feelings and to act upon them].  I told her she made me proud.  I told her my grandmother was poor and didn't have nice things...and that she broke my heart in a good way to see how she wanted that box.  I told her that I was sad my grandmother never met her, as I know they would have been friends.

This is what I was greeted with in my email at work this morning:

From: Thing 1
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 4:11 PM
To: Me
Subject: RE: You Amaze Me.

Mommy,

Thank you for giving me your Grandma’s Jewelry Box. I love it. I think it’s cool that I got after someone in my family.

I found out that it can lock, but if you slide the lock hole, it opens! That’s  cool.

I really love it. I wouldn't replace it.

Thank you,

Thing 1

She's eight.  EIGHT! This eight-year-old just showed more insight and maturity and beauty of soul than anyone else I know.  I know that for all my faults, I've at least done this right.  I will never know what I did in life to deserve her, but she makes me proud and thankful every day.