Ella, my peace and smile maker

“Mom, I am going to address my school tomorrow about peace tomorrow in our assembly,” said Ella while I was tucking her in at 830PM Thursday night.  I was surprised at this declaration. “What do you mean?" I asked, "What are you going to say?”

The school has been studying about peace and Dr. Martin Luther King.  E said she asked her principal last week if she could say a few words about the subject to THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.  She did not ask her teacher or the school secretary she asked the principal directly.  Her principal reportedly told her she could do so the next week, which was this past Friday.  After this impressive story, the other shoe dropped, “I still need to write my speech.” 

I walked downstairs not knowing if this was all real or not.  E is not overly outgoing, she is even shy around most people she does not know.  This found confidence baffled me.  I was excited for her, confused and too tired from the day to think any more about it.  We had decided to write the speech in the morning so I let it end there.

Friday morning E came downstairs already dressed with shoes tied and coat zipped.  We wrote out her speech and she and her dad walked to school.  I got to the school in time for the assembly still unsure on if her speech was actually going to happen.  There was no time to drop B off at his school so I found a chair and he squirmed on my lap waiting for the show to begin.  E’s principal took the stage and greeted all the classes, K-6^th grades with at least two classes in each grade and about 100 parents.  It seemed like most of the parents there regularly attended these things.  This was my third assembly in three years at the school so I will not be winning the Mother of the Year award.  The fact my Best Mom Ever Award would not be arriving was proven further when the principal actually asked E to come forward and deliver her thoughts.  Tears filled my eyes; this was really happening.  E stood up, dropped her One Direction backpack and unzipped her jacked to reveal she was wearing….. her pajama top.  A cute but very thin, white, sleeveless cotton shirt in 50 degree weather.  Nice.  I looked at my husband who had found us in the mob of people and said, “we have to check under her coat from now on, period.”

Ella was now on stage and took the microphone in her little hands that were shaking from nervousness.  B decided it was now he had to pee.  He was bouncing and holding myself trying to make sure E did not deter attention away from him.  Miraculously, the promise of Fruit Loops for the next day’s breakfast bought me some time with him.  (I know I am not digging myself out of the gutter with these confessions.)   Ella read her speech word for word; she asked the students to be kind to one another, to smile at each other and do their personal best to spread peace throughout the school. My tears of pride kept coming as she spoke.  My baby girl who doesn’t like to leave the house on weekends did not only address her entire school but she asked HER PRINCIPAL for the opportunity to do so. 

Everyday I am in awe of my children.  Some days it is because of their audacity, their ability to create chaos and messes or their natural talent to get their voice to the highest octave humanly possible when they scream.  On Friday it was E’s bravery that took my breath away.  When she rejoined her class on the gym floor after her speech she looked back to find me and flashed a priceless smile.

I took that smile and borrowed it the rest of the day.