A Child's Chatter

There are certain sounds that bring us great joy. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach, the rain on the roof, a loved one's sigh of contentment are just a few of my favorites.

But, as a parent, sounds that might drive other adults to distraction, are simply nothing less than pure joy. As a new mom, for some crazy reason, I loved the sound of my baby crying. It meant she was healthy, normal. As she got older, certain sounds she made would literally give me such joy, I would tremble. Listening to her little voice sing every Disney princess song written, her sweet giggle and belly laugh, feeling her little hands on my face to look in me in the eye and say "Momma, I love you."

Now that she is a teen, I look at this tall, beautiful girl-woman and am overwhelmed at the person she is becoming. The sweet sounds of her fairy tale songs and imaginary friends have been replaced by attitude, opinion and quiet defiance. The sense of pride I have in her as I watch her grow is overwhelming.

She just returned from a 4 week visit with her Father. So happy to be home, her excitement is expressed in the endless amount of words tumbling out of her at an astonishing rate. It is dizzying to listen to and attempt to follow. From the realization that her absent father really might not be the prince she wanted him to be, to the joys of being at home in her own bed. The chatter has not stopped since she arrived.

Coming off the realization from yesterday and making a conscience effort to look for those pure moments I long for, I discovered one this morning. Listening to her chat about all the joys of being home. The smells, comfort, and familiarity of home, to no one in particular. I couldn't help but smile, especially after looking at the dog cock his head at excitement in her voice.

At her age I was already inhibited. Held my feelings in, swallowed the pain, pushed down the joy to keep things on an even keel. Yet here was this child, my child, not holding anything back. Her arms outstretched and her face full of the sheer joy of being home among all the things she knows and loves. So different than I was.

The moment was so clear. I had made things different for her, and those little changes resulted in my daughter's ability to simply express how she feels. Openly, honestly, genuinely. For this mom, it doesn't get any better than that.

Suddenly, my child's chatter has been added to my list of certain sounds that bring me great joy.

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