In our contentment at home, we lost track of time and realized too late it was way past bedtime. 11:00…..a peaceful evening quickly turned into a Brady v. Avery rumble in the living room. What would have been easily handled and forgotten earlier in the day, turned into a hitting, screaming, crying fit. As they were forced to their respective rooms, they said the best parting words to one another:
(There was a mention of the recycling bin by Cannon…..)
Avery: Brady needs to be put in the recycle bin!
Brady: SHUT UP!!!!
Oh parting is such sweet sorrow….
When they wake in the morning, all will be forgotten. But tonight, they were ready to say goodbye forever.
Once in our room, I tried wiping away her tears but realized we had crossed the point of no return. There were no hugs, words or snuggles that could soothe an over-tired, sensitive soul expressing her strong feelings about a ruined life at the hands of a red-headed boy. Much to her dismay, there was no “chill time” in her bed with her iPad so she reluctantly snuggled in with her favorite stuffed animals. She refused my offer to sleep in my bed, determined to remain stoic in her anger. But a little arm slowly creeped to the edge of her bed and I knew exactly why. I reached out and held that small hand and gently rubbed the top with my thumb. She never acknowledged it but certainly didn’t pull away. In the silence, I lay staring at her small face. I saw sadness in her downcast eyes and pouty lip. Eventually though, the sleepiness took over and she began to blink a little more frequently than before. I wondered what was going through her mind. Was she thinking about the last 10 minutes or something more? Life has been a lot lately. Her little safe and comfortable environment has been completely uprooted in the past 3 weeks. What she thought was ahead of her & looked forward to for summer is no longer the same. Was she thinking about her friends back home and missing them? Was she wishing her Daddy was here to tuck her in? Was she hoping to dream about running in the yard with our dogs, Sadie & Millie? Is she fearful of the grueling schedule that is quickly approaching? Or was she simply envisioning the blue of the ocean and feel of the sand between her toes? She has a heavy load on her little shoulders. Some would crumble under the pressure of so much, so fast. But not my Avery. She’s put her big girl panties on and walked bravely into the unknown.
And as I lay beside her from my own bed, holding her soft fingers in the palm of my hand, I am sent back in time to when I held her in my arms and rocked her to sleep. It was one of my most treasured times with her as a baby. No distractions or noise. Just a mama holding her little girl, watching her eyes blink closed, praying she would one day have the confidence to chase her dreams while knowing how much she is loved and cherished. Tonight as her eyelids got heavier and the blinking slowed down, I watched them close softly for the last time until sunrise, and I listened to her breathing deepen as she drifted off to sleep. Once she was finally sound asleep, I continued to stare at her little face as tears ran down my cheeks. This beautiful, smart, strong, kind and BRAVE girl is facing all life throws at her head-on. When the storms of change surround her, she doesn’t turn away. She pulls on her rubber boots and boldly walks directly into the rain. She also makes sure those walking with her keep up and don’t lose hope. She may stumble and fall a few times, but there’s no doubt she will stand up and continue on her way, in search of the sunlight through the clouds. If only I could have been this brave at just 9 years old. She is my daughter and she is fierce!
Disabling Dyslexia 