This morning, she woke up around 9:30am, some four hours after me. As I greeted her, she was stirring, eyes awake. I crawled up next to her and just looked at her, trying to convey love through my eyes. She said nothing, waiting. For a while, neither did I. Finally, softly, I spoke-
Me – “I love you.”
Her lips curled into a smile that spread across her face and throughout her body. She wriggled in delight.
Me – “You’re amazing.”
She just took it in.
Me – “You know, I know I get upset here and there about this or that, but none of that matters compared to how much I love you and how amazing you are.”
She smiled again and leaned in towards me
Me – “You smell like yummy, snuggly sleep.”
Her – “You smell like “Da” (Daddy)
I guess that was a compliment.
What I do know, though, is that with each new day, the desire to be loved starts again for her. Children never tire of the reassurance.
And, thank God for new days. A new day is a new chance to be a loving, fun, stimulating, and supportive presence that brightens their days. That’s basically what they want and need to flourish… in their own time and way.
