Tessie had another rough drop-off at school today. She stood in the hallway, crying loudly, demanding I carry her to class, for a good five minutes. I insisted, all the while wishing I hadn’t, that she was a big girl and had to walk herself. We eventually made it into the classroom, but Tes wouldn’t tell me goodbye, or even look at me. Yes, that is the sound of my heart breaking. I hate leaving her in a mood like that, and I found myself lingering by her classroom door, hoping for her to come running out, arms open wide.
I called to check on her about an hour later. Her teacher said she was doing fine, and playing with her friends. Even with the reassurance, her sad face was still floating before me as I painted, all day. When it was time to pick the kids up I eagerly awaited seeing Tes, and hoped she was back to her happy self.
Sure enough, when I got to school, Tessie was all smiles to greet me. We played a quick game of hide-and-seek, and then I got the daily report from her teacher. They had been talking about Thanksgiving in class, and discussing the things they were grateful for. Each child had made a turkey using their hand print, then were asked by their teacher what they were thankful for. I had to see Tessie’s.
I walked out into the hall to see where the turkeys were displayed. Right in the middle of the bulletin board, I found Tessie’s turkey. He had pink tail feathers, of course, and across the bottom of the page it said “Tessie is thankful for her family.” My heart swelled, and my hand rested on top of her head, as Tes threw her arms around my legs, and squeezed me tight. For all the hard mornings, I am thankful for my sweet daughter, and all the beauty she gives me, even when I have to fight for it.
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