Letters to our Daughters | February 2013

my sweet lily.  my sweet sweet lily.

everyone who meets you loves you.  you have this infectious laughter.  you giggle with your brothers for hours on end.  you are super silly.  and you bring smiles to each of our faces every single day.

most recently, our town was named the 7th most miserable town to live in within the US.  to you, that means nothing. you see the world out there is so different from the world inside our little house.  i want to shelter you from everything out there.  i want to take away your pain.  i want to take away your frustrations.  i want you to never be sad.  but i know, that it can’t be.  you need to learn about adversity.  you need to learn about sadness.  you need to learn how to deal with it all.  you even have to learn how to fail… and then succeed.

last week, you have told me you hated school.  the mom in me and the teacher in me both cringed.  i felt like a failure.  as a mom, i hated seeing your frustration.   i hated seeing how upset you got doing homework.  i hated seeing how anxious you were as we prepared for your spelling test.  actual tears were streaming from your eyes and i thought, this cannot be the way for my little girl.  what am i doing wrong?  how can you hate school at 5?  as a teacher, i wondered, what can i do?  why are you so upset?  what can i do to help you?  how can we make this fun?  and then bubby came in and saved the day with her teacher tricks.  i sat back, smiled and thought.  wow, my mom saved the day. 

i hope that when you look at me.  when you think of all the times we giggle.  when you think of all the times we play.  when we lay awake reading bob books.  when we play house with your dolls.  when we cook dinner together.  when we do your homework.  someday you will think … wow, my mom saved the day … just like my mom saved the day and you came home w that 100 for the spelling test.

so now, as i write this, you are happy.  giggling.  we did your book report today.  on that darned barbie book.  the one both me and your dad hate … the one you love.  and you were happy.  you smiled.  you giggled.  then you took off running.  off to play w your brothers.  and the world was perfect once again in your world.

please don’t ever be frustrated.  i know you try your best.  i know you get upset when things don’t go perfectly right away.  but please don’t ever cry.  know i am here.  daddy is here.  bubby is here.  saba, nana and pop-pop too.  we will shield you.  we will protect you.  we will pick you up when you are down.  we just want to hear those giggles.  and see those smiles.

love you, mom xx

ps – i’m getting the hang of the lensbaby +an ever moving kid.  i debated trashing these but decided it was her.  so her.  utter chaos.  smiles.

head on over to read the next in the circle … the fabulous shalonda of chubby cheek photography. she is one of those photographers who is truly amazing … both in her photos, herself and her sweet words. oh my. swoon.