...but I would be home just a week later
...but they were probably swamped with people
...but I'll get to spend more time with her if I wait
...but I can't afford two trips within a week
...but I will be more helpful once the initial rush of support begins to wan
Even after all of this rationalization, on the day she was born, I was mad at myself for not being there. After all, your best friend only has her first baby once. So, I wrote a letter to this new baby, Blythe. I wrote what I saw and what the world became just knowing she was now in it. In short, a better place.
On the day of her first birthday, I was blessed to be present for her party. I sealed up the letter and gave it to my best friend, leaving it up to her to decide when the letter would be opened. As the letter is really only for Blythe, I don't want to divulge more of what I wrote in it.
For her 13th month, she came out to Colorado for a visit with her parents. She'd been here at 5 months but this time she was a little moving machine! For four days I got to watch her explore, navigate and experience the wide open spaces of Colorado and man, did she LOVE it.
We took walks by the creek, threw rocks in a pile, pulled dandelions apart, spent hours on the porch- climbing in and out of rocking chairs, smelled flowers, watched birds and chased marmots with Bracco. She tripped over uneven paths, felt threatened by the icy runoff on her toes and I watched her rub her hands together to clean off dirt over and over and over again.
The world is a magical place when you see it through the eyes of a child. These activities that I so often participate in (ok, maybe I don't often pile up rocks), seemed fresh and new. It didn't matter how slowly we walked, we just had fun walking together. There were no destinations, only exploration. Schedules were flexible, naps were frequent and the mundane was nothing short of extraordinary.
I can't wait to watch her grow and experience a little more of the world with her each time I see her, finding magic all along the way. Love you, B (and R&S)! Thanks for visiting Auntie J-Wo!
Can you tell I'm crazy about her? I mean, look at that face!
