Sometimes, kids are the teachers...

“Well, Sheridan, you’ll understand one of these days when you have a child.”

“No… Because I am not going to have any children.”

(!!!)

“Excuse me??? I’m sorry, for a second there it sounded like you don’t plan to make me a grandparent one day. Why would you not want to ever have a child?”

“Maawwwm… Because. I will have a nice home one day, and I don’t want some little person running around making messes the way I do. You have to go and work hard every day. Then you come home, and have to help me with my homework. Then you have to help me clean my room. And make me dinner, and by the time you get to eat, the food is all cold by then. And then you have to make sure I wash my hair real good. Then you have to help me make sure my teeth are brushed good. Then you also have to brush my hair after the bath, and I am always whining when you do it. And you have to wash all my clothes. And then you also have to use your money to buy me things I need. When all of that is over, you look like you are about to fall asleep. And even then, I ask if we can read a story, and you always say YES! IT’S CRAZY! You just don’t ever have any time to just… like… not DO anything. Because of all the things I need. That’s pretty much why. I don’t want to be that busy. But thank you! REALLY! Thank you! You are the best mom I could ever get.”

*wraps her skinny little arms around my neck and kisses
my forehead.*

She says all of this with an articulation, and tone of voice far beyond her 7 years. It’s strange really. When I was her age, I never even stopped to think about the small, daily sacrifices my mother made to make sure I was taken care of. I’m sure she would have loved to flop down into the recliner and watch Oprah, but she didn’t. And I must say, it never occurred to me that any of the myriad ways my life has changed since having Sheridan have been sacrifices, either.

Life changed. It was a shift in gears… People always say that having kids will change your life. And as scared as I was about how she’d change my life, and change me, and generally throw a wrench into everything – none of that mattered anymore. She did change everything; in fact, the shift into my new life was instantaneous, completely radical, and absolutely shocking in its totality. Entire rooms opened up that I didn’t even know were there. No, forget that – galaxies. Entire galaxies, lit with billions of stars. To be honest, I really can’t remember much of what I did before she came along. (You can draw your own conclusions as to the reason…)

She managed to teach me a lesson during our little conversation… The lesson was that I have not gone unappreciated and unnoticed. Sometimes, we feel like we don’t matter much. But when your small child can rattle off a bulleted list of things you do for them, on a daily basis, that you don’t even think about doing, it is quite the humbling experience! And you start to think, “Holy sh*t… Maybe I AM doing something right, after all.”

I do realize that every parent out there is biased toward their own kids… But… hoo-boy… My daughter really is a gift upon this earth. I don’t know a lot of other kids that give so freely asking nothing in return, and have the ability to just enjoy the feeling of performing a purely benevolent act and find enjoyment in simply knowing something they did made someone else happy.

I honestly can’t think of any way to be more proud of this girl!

(Wait, I was wrong: She’s also on the A honor roll! hee hee!)

So, for you, Sheridan:

Rescuer of baby bunnies:

Water Fountain helper to the Short of Stature: (Hi Penny!)

Pap-Pap's Little Martial Arts Enthusiast:

Lake Air Little League Football Cheerleader (Go Cardinals!):

She's F.B.I.! (Fry Bread Indian)

Loves the Girls Days Out:

She's still in love with our ex-weather man. (Sheridan says "Hi", Rudy!):

Lover of her best girl friends:

Proud of her Native background:

That's Sheridan for you. :)