Monday, August 22, 2011

gratitude day 25: casey anne



she left for her first day of junior high today, catching a ride with a friend's mom, my heart shredding in that way that mother's hearts do, over and over. i snapped a hurried photo as her friend waited in the car in our driveway.

me: nervous, crying. her: running, excited, hair curled.

i fell in love with her the moment the nurse laid her in my arms in the hospital. she was beautiful, serene, already wise. today she is calm, obedient, responsible, confident, a peace maker. and totally unafraid of the world.

i am afraid enough for both of us. thinking about her starting junior high, i've had this poem running through my head. it seems to fit her so well.

Song for a Young Girl's Puberty Ceremony

I am on my way running,
I am on my way running,
Looking toward me is the edge of the world,
I am trying to reach it,
The edge of the world does not look far away,
To that I am on my way running.

-Anonymous, Translated by Frances Densmore

6 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful girl. Oh man...my heart would be pounding. It so wonderful/sad/scary to watch our kids grow up.

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  2. I can't even imagine this point in my life. I'm glad you hit it first so you can help me when I'm there! She looks fantastic- as if that's a surprise since she's YOUR daughter!

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  3. What an amazing mother you are. Sounds like you are blessed to have each other! :) Love you!

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  4. junior high! that's so crazy. goodness she is beautiful. just like her mother.

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  5. i'm glad i have you and emily to call and cry to when i have a kid in jr. high. yikes.

    pretty little casey anne. i still remember seeing pictures of her for the first time. SO cute.

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  6. Rachel, what a sweet post for your daughter. I love that what began as a month of gratitude has become a year of gratitude. Thanks for sharing what you feel with the rest of us. I love your honesty and your descriptive expressions.

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