Our youngest, Becca, can be a burst of sunshine. She’s one of those little girls who loves wearing dresses--does it twirl?--and skips instead of walking everywhere she goes. Her hair, unlike mine EVER, has beautiful waves and little tendrils that curl around her face. Her eyes are giant sapphires blinding you with their light. And when she laughs, oh, it fills your soul.
Now, don’t get me wrong. She can be a nightmare. Just this morning, Ben was playing “Let It Be” --his calming technique--you don’t mess with “Let It Be.” Unfortunately, at the exact same moment, Becca wanted to reread her new favorite Mo Willems book I Love My New Toy, which she can read ALL BY HERSELF. I tried to convince her to whisper the book, even the parts where the characters are clearly yelling (nice move, Mo Willems), but that would not fly. So, let’s see how this went. Uh, Ben was singing, Becca yelled part of her story, Ben yelled at her to be quiet because he was CALMING DOWN, Becca ran to me and puddled herself on the floor screaming and crying. Yup. 6:32 a.m. in our house. Pretty typical. So, as I was saying, she can become a slobbering mess of melodrama in a matter of seconds, but she has moments of heaven that more than make up for that.
One such moment is The Nightly Cuddle. On my Mother’s Day poster, Becca stated “My mom is really good at cuddling me.” I would beg to differ. I have cuddled all three of my kids as they dropped off to sleep, and I would say that it is BECCA who is good at cuddling ME. Becca pulls me in close and wraps her skinny arm around my neck, pulling my forehead in so we’re “touching heads.” Touching heads was her idea, her insistence, from a very young age. And there is something so intimate, so tender, so endearing about “touching heads.” Even when I’m too sick to get out of my bed and go cuddle in hers, Becca and I cuddle and touch heads, and I’m really not sure who needs it more.
Then there’s her storytelling. Becca is always narrating a story. Always. When she was a toddler, her two best friends were her hands, Nina and Shakkah. They were involved in many great dramas in the car, in her bed, in the living room, or on the swingset. One time, Nina even choked Becca. That was when we really worried about whether or not her multiple personalities were getting out of hand. We haven’t seen Nina and Shakkah lately, but Becca gets very involved in her Barbies, her babies, and all her dolls.I love watching the gentle way she mothers her babies, swaddling them, kissing their cheeks, holding them on her hip. I hope she’s mimicking me, some deep seated memories of how I cherished her infanthood.
Most of all, Becca is my sunshine because she loves ME the best. If I’m feeling bad or sad, she hugs me, kisses me, brings me a blanket, or puts her tiny hand inside mine with a grip so fierce, I think we could actually take on the world together. If I’m doing a chore, she’s willing to help hold the garbage bag or wipe the dishes dry or put the clothes in the drawers, just to be with me. “We’re having fun, right, Mommy?! Girlfriends!”
It is in these sunshiney moments I wish she could be six for an eternity. That she would never have to grow up and out and away. That we could “touch heads” every night before we go to sleep. I’ll try to treasure it now. I already know how fast it goes. Yes, Boo, we’re having fun. Girlfriends! Forever.
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