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?
Comments
Nothing sweeter
Than a motheer's love!
Love, Andrea Lena
When I Was A Kid
Reading my Eagle comic, I knew I would go to the Moon, Mars and Venus. When Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon I knew we would colonise the Moon in my lifetime and maybe go to Mars. By then we knew Venus was a no-no.
Now, 54 years later, I am still waiting for us to go back to the Moon and, this time, stay there.
I can only hope that the little girl's dream comes true.
Give it time
Who will go there eventually, my suspicion that mining will be very good. While they are moving rock they will be making living quarters.
We are going back to the Moon.
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/
Artemis-I (uncrewed) has successfully completed her circum-Lunar test flight.
Artemis-II is being assembled as I type.
It will be crewed, and will be another circum-Lunar test flight. I don't think launch date windows have been set.
Artemis-III ill be a human landing mission.
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A am older than >everything< humans have ever put into orbit. Of course I remember all Apollo crewed Moon landings.
I saw the Echo I, as it was a naked-eye orbiter. So is the International Space station.
I hope to see Artemis-II succeed. With luck, I will live to see Artemis-III land and return humans.
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Dream on, young Jenny.
But work to make your dreams real. NASA (and other space and related agencies) need all kinds all of talents, of skills, of people.
And SHTEAM Y/Our Children. Make the World better.
Science/Sociology
Humanities/History
Thinking/Technology
Ethics/Engineering/Empathy/Emotional Maturity/Enquiry
Arts/Adaptability
Mathematics
SHTEAM-ing yourself is also good.