I came home to this note from Jessi (age 10) on a Wednesday night after a long day at work and an evening commitment. The kids were already in bed when I got home, and finding this hand-written treasure brought a huge smile to my face. There are several things I love about this note:
1. Preparation. Thursday was a dress down day at school. I’m so proud of my kids when they are independently thinking ahead and preparing for what’s to come. I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging, but I just find this so impressive at such a young age and in a generation where we hear so much about lawnmower/helicopter parenting and how kids are losing the ability to think for themselves. It’s just not the case with these munchkins! And I hope it’s a testament to our parenting skills but most of the time, I just feel like the luckiest mom on earth!
2. Homage to my sewing skills. My kid is asking me to sew something? Have I really become the kind of mom that can thread a needle and fix something? I feel like I've "arrived" and it's a dream come true for me.
I’ve hemmed skirts, fixed favorite sweatshirts, "saved" stuffed animals' lives and now mended a pair of ripped jeans (“No ripped jeans” was a rule for dress down day.) I feel like a Super Hero when they look at me in awe of my “skills” when really, I’m not that good. LOL. But… this was a personal goal of mine for many, many years. I remember my grandmother, Mary, with thimble in hand, sewing all sorts of stuff. And it stuck with me. And I wanted to do that someday. I’m not quite at the skill level I'd like to be, but to have my kids' total confidence and admiration during these moments just feels so good.
3. Thoughtfulness. My kids aren’t perfect. They don’t always put other's needs before their own. But generally speaking... I am so proud of them for who they are. They do think about others. And they think about me. “Sry to disturb.” is the sweetest thing to say at the end of this note. To me it demonstrates a level of humility, and empathy, and self-awareness that many adults don’t even have! I’ve gotten texts from them after school, while I'm still at work that read, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, can I ask you a question?” and I think to myself: who taught you to say this? It really blows my mind that at just 10 years old they know this stuff. (And it’s not just the twins. It’s really all my kiddos!)
It's these little moments. Getting home. Finding a handwritten note on the counter. Feeling so tired but suddenly getting completely re-energized by a note with 18 words on it. 18 words that mean more to me than she would ever know.