Off to school we go

It was once mentioned, when I was in high school, that we often don't "see" the people that we interact with daily. Our parents, our teachers, the person at the grocery store. We interact and talk with them but often only see them as they relate to us. We've seen them everyday for so long that we don't look at them with fresh eyes anymore. That's when I was asked "When is the last time you looked at your mother's face and really looked at her?". I thought that was incredibly odd since I looked at her everyday. But then I got home and saw my mother and it immediately clicked what they meant. I still saw the mommy that I saw when I was little but mommy had changed. And so I began to really see who she was and keep in mind that she was a seperate person. I saw her.

The next day I went to school and looked at my teachers and thought about how, at the end of the day, they will go home and have a life. They didn't just exist while I was at school but had cares and worries and joys of their own. And I saw them.

Every 6 months or so I have to remind myself to do the same with my kids. I have to take the mental image of them in my mind and throw it out. And then I look and them, at who they are and what they feel, and I see them fresh. My oldest grew up in a second this morning before my eyes. Last year he was argumentative and bitter. Last year he was a smart little boy who had no confidence in himself. Today I saw a boy who is getting a little lanky and developing his style (he loves button shirts). I saw a boy who is happy, loving, and wants to do his homework. He's still smart but now he is starting to believe it too (I'm SO glad we held him back!). He's becoming a little man.

My middle child is turning into my artist. He's creative and loves to draw and read. He's an early riser (which he did not inherit from either parent). He's mischievious and full of life.

My little girl's change was a little shocking to me. She's not so little anymore. She is now a school aged child. She's excited about school and learning and thrilled she gets her own backpack. She's noticing her clothes and wants to wear skirts (and won't take those shoes off). It's hard to see in the picture but she's getting a little lanky too.

Today I saw them and they all grew up a little. I'm thrilled to see the people they are becoming but I wish I could also hold on to who they were just a little longer.