Ruby is our surprise baby. She is a gift. She is a gift that grows bigger in my heart everyday. She keeps me young and on my toes and laughing and smiling and exasperated sighing all day. She is my helper. She is the one who is fiercely independent and completely in love with all of us. The world is a better place with Ruby in it.
Our yard is in the midst of our renovation project. It has not yet been graded, mostly because we are having problems finding a landscaper who it reliable and has time to fit us into his schedule. Since the yard is a mess of weeds and mud I have been letting the kids dig madly, where ever their hearts desire. After one such front yard digging session Ruby knocked on our front door. When I opened it she was holding a small trowel in her right hand and hold out her left hand palm up.
"Now I need a seed."
And so I gave her a seed. I choose beets because the seeds are large and thus easy for her to manage. The ground was dry and hard but she had made some holes just perfect for planting. She watered with her itty bitty watering can. It snowed. Yes, it snowed because we live in Northern Alberta and it commonly snows at the end of May. And now? Now we have beets growing in odd places around our front yard which Steve lovingly mows around. Heart swells.
She turned three, just three weeks ago. She had been telling people she was two and showing her two fingers for months and then reminding them that she would be "this many" holding up three fingers in July. On the day after her birthday as we were preparing breakfast together, she turned to me and said, "Now I am three" holding up three fingers.
"Yes honey, you are three"
"And on my birthday in July I will be this many," she stated holding up four fingers.
Oh baby girl, yes you will be but not for almost a whole year and please don't wish away your childhood. I didn't cry but it was a struggle.
Four years ago I never imagined that my heart could be this big, this full, this happy. It was my lesson in letting go, in not needing to be in control, just going along this road of life and enjoying the journey. Being thankful for the beautiful moments that we don't plan and the beautiful people that we love along the way.
2 comments:
I love everything about this. My baby is nearly 2. And I have no doubt that next year she will be planting seeds of her own. As she has done everyday since she completed this family.
Remembering your days of concern on first discovery...and smiling with you at the beauty of Ruby! Control is sometimes highly over-rated :)
By the way, you are SO articulate. Loved reading your posts! Thanks for visiting my new site.
Post a Comment