Thinking of little j

little j and I have had quite a bit of mother-daughter time with Big J out of town this last week.  Yesterday when I walked her over to her friend's house to go to school I felt incredibly sad that I wouldn't see her.  It's sort of inexplicable since we were together all weekend and that leads to some serious stubbornness from both of us, which then leads to arguments, to tears, but ultimately ends in laughs, hugs and tickles.

Today is Valentine's Day, but we won't be celebrating since I teach until 7 and she is at the barn until about the same time.  Instead we will celebrate tomorrow with a dinner out and simple handmade cards.

I came across this poem this afternoon and it nearly brought me to tears thinking about the little girl, so dependent, so fiercely loving, who is starting to test the waters of independence and refuses to hold my hand as we walk into school.

A Little Tooth
by Thomas Lux

Your baby grows a tooth, then two,
and four, and five, then she wants some meat
directly from the bone.  It's all

over: she'll learn some words, she'll fall
in love with cretins, dolts, a sweet
talker on his way to jail.  And you,

your wife, get old, flyblown, and rue
nothing.  You did, you loved, your feet
are sore.  It's dusk.  Your daughter's tall.