Mother’s Reflection

A Mother’s Reflection
By Teek
7-22-2022

As the seasons progressed, I watched my baby slowly change. As a nine-year-old, she complains whenever I call her my baby, but she will always be that to me. The last big change I saw in her was this spring when she stopped her little kid love of Disney Princesses. She still likes the princesses and all their movies, but she doesn’t want them plastered all over her stuff anymore. As we are walking down this trail along the river, I smile at her light-up Disney Princess sneakers, but she’s bugging me more to get her a new pair without the princesses on them.

“Look, Mom,” Jenny exclaimed with glee. “A butterfly!”

“Yes, it’s very pretty. Isn’t it?”

She silently watches the butterfly flap around. Last summer, she would be noisy and running all around with excitement. She’d even pretend she was a butterfly. Now she’s studying it like a scientist. I’m so proud of her, and much more able to keep up with the less active version of her. I’m also sad for what I've lost. Innocent, hyperactive little kids have a certain magic, and they share energy with those around them. Now, she’s discovering stuff on her own, not relying on me as much to teach her. She wants books so she can read to learn new things. I miss her needing me to read her cute, funny picture books.

It seems she is changing as fast as the seasons. I don’t know what she is changing into, but I want each precious day of each season. As summer will turn into Fall, she will change again as fourth grade will expand her horizons. She absorbs new stuff taught at school, like lotion on her skin.

“Mom, look at the moon. We don’t see it out in the middle of day that often,” Jenny said as she staired up into the bright blue, cloudless sky. “I want to go there some day.”

“I’m sure you will be able to at some point in your lifetime,” I smiled at her, even though she never took her eyes off the moon. “I had the same dream when I was your age, but you will probably actually get to do it.”

My baby the astronaut. I wonder if they will still call people that once going to the moon is as common as traveling to another country?



If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos!
Click the Thumbs Up! button below to leave the author a kudos:
up
95 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks. 
This story is 416 words long.