Our First Days

I was on my way to the university last Tuesday where I was to meet my class for the first time. I recently got an emergency appointment at the place I retired from three years ago. While in the car, my mind was more on my granddaughter's first day in kindergarten rather than on my own.

I started crying realizing my little girl was all grown up. She was no longer the little toddler I took with me to the library to sing the ABC song during its Tots time on Mondays and later on to gymnastics class where she loved to tumble and took her first steps on the balance beam. She is now in a real school where she will learn to write her ABC''s and make words with them and read!

As I was just going through my Google photo albums before this her first day, the memories of her transformation from year to year overwhelmed me and I got teary eyed. Lately I have also observed acts of kindness and maturity from her I have not seen before.

Just a few days before her first day in school, I took her and her younger brother, Luca, to the mall where I have brought Maddie countless times to  its playground. It was actually Luca's first time there. Maddie took Luca under her wings and taught him how to go down the slide, ride the train and the cow and walk on top of the xylophone. She acted like a little Mommy to him teaching him the ropes. They also rode the virtual roller coaster with her delightfully sharing with her brother what she had enjoyed all these years.

.

Luca felt all the motherly love from his sister the whole time in the playground. When we were walking towards the bookstore he took away my hand holding him so he could solely hold on to his older sister's. As we were walking, people were staring and smiling at the two of them holding hands and so did I beaming with pride.

Just a few days back, as I was lying down on their sofa to take a nap, Maddie asked me, "Lola (grandma in Tagalog), do you need a blanket?" .  OMG, I felt a warmth in my heart. This simple thoughtful offer signalled to me her growing maturity. She is now picking up what good things I have done  for her like the same offer I ask her when she takes a nap in our sofa at our house. I have always been scared she would just pick some irreverent stuff I say and do. But here she is with her big heart  choosing this simple act of kindness and thoughtfulness instead.

As I was crying in my car during my first day back at the university, my mind and heart were on Maddie and forgot all about the jitters about meeting some 24 students who I hope to see transforming before my eyes in the days to come this semester. I am  grateful to have the opportunity to see that as I have  had with my Maddie these past few days.