Last night I discovered I may have been the only mom in my little circle of neighborhood friends to have talked to E about the Connecticut shootings. She knows a man with a sick mind killed some little kids who as she put it, "could have all been my friends." She did not show fear over that news but did when I told her we were going to the dentist. Oh to be a kid again..
This morning I asked her to brush her teeth and she froze. You could literally see the moment she remembered where we were going pass through her brain. Her up up-curled, smiling lips (inappropriately slathered in a purple lip gloss that needed to be removed) went straight and then there was silence. More silence. In one sudden moment, she ran up stairs more excited than I thought she should be to do such a mundane task. Minutes later she came back down with unbrushed teeth but a huge smile holding her beloved Bear. "I'll take Bear to be brave today." I responded with, "whatever it takes," and gave a big smile followed with, "now go brush your teeth".
Bear sat comfortably in her backpack during school this morning and she pulled him out as I parked the car at the dentist. I did not say anything and neither did she. We entered the lobby and Bear sat next to me in a chair while E played in the lobby filled with video games and toys. The nurse (or a lady wearing scrubs) came out and called E's name. She was sitting on the floor, playing with the Barbie toy and looked up at me. She took one deep breath as she got up, grabbed Bear out of his seat and stopped to hug me.
I waited for the pleading for me to come back with her. I waited for the long look as she walked to hand the woman's head. To my surprise neither came. E looked down at Teddy and said, "here we go". And away she went.
Some days we do not need a hero we just need a little bravery to remind ourselves that heroes exist.
I have that for the moment. Lets just hope this bravery thing carries us through her hearing she has to get a cavity filled. yikes!
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