I had a first-ever sleepover with only Ridley on Friday night. It's rare to interact with her sans her brother. And very interesting to view her in this light, where she becomes more mature, more decisive, more self-assured. (IMHO. Her parents may disagree with me.)When we first arrived at my house, she went directly to the piano and began playing, by ear, some Hanon exercises and a Chopin Etude. Really! Has this child inherited my ear? I tried to keep my excitement under wraps as I listened and encouraged. Piano was followed by a leisurely bubble bath and much singing of the song, "This Old Man." To my shock and joy, she's finally developed the ability to match pitches with me, first time, every time. Amazing musical development! After bath, she crawled into my bed and read to me, then plodded back to her little bed in the guest room, where she tucked herself in and went right to sleep.
Who is this adult in a six-year-old body?
Seeing her grow up so beautifully takes me back to my childhood, where—again, from my perspective—I was taught that I was dumb, ugly and incompetent.
I am so grateful for Tyler and Jaci, who are such fabulous parents. I am forever indebted to them for giving me space in their children's lives. As I watch their children—my grandchildren—grow up, I can relearn what it's like to be a kid, to be a loved and cherished and appropriately disciplined kid.
Hindsight is 20/20, after all.
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