By Elizabeth Buchinger
So here we are, on the
other side of 3-years-old,
and it seems we both survived
it intact. It wasn’t
easy, but perhaps it made
us both stronger.
I have never known
someone who dove into each
day with such joy and humor.
You have an uncanny
ability to create and then
steal the comedic stage in
almost every setting. Your
``pretending to nearly fall
off a tightrope’’ routine is
always a hit as we are being
led to our table in a restaurant.
You’ve also really
perfected what I like to call
``The Astonished Aside.’’
It’s as though you imagine
yourself as the star in your
own British sitcom, and every
so often the situation at
hand calls for you to do a
wide-eyed take toward a
camera seen only by you.
``Posey, did you know
Abi and Ivy are coming for
the whole weekend?’’
[Astonished Aside]
``What!? They are? Nobody
told me!’’
And, of course, you are
never afraid to work blue.
Your skill at replacing key
words and phrases with the
word ``poopy’’ is unrivaled.
For all your clownish nature,
which takes long sojourns
into the realms of
mischief, your heart is as
wide and open as a blue October
sky.
You do not simply like
people - you adore them
with every ounce of yourself.
Anyone who has been
on the receiving end of a
running hug from you
knows just how powerful
that adoration can be.
You even adore your big
sister, giving me great,
happy hope that the two of
you will share not only a
childhood and a name, but
a lifelong friendship.
And speaking of lifelong
relationships, I think it’s
perfectly admirable that
you have already chosen
your future husband at this
tender age. And in that
choice, you have exhibited
good taste beyond your
years. However, I think it
would be wise for you to
hold off on making anything
official just yet. Who
knows what the next couple
of decades might bring.
Just look at what the
last year has brought. A
year ago, only your closest
family could understand
every word you said. Now
you can entertain perfect
strangers with elaborate
stories about your family
members.
You can snap your fingers
and cross the monkey
bars and very nearly whistle.
I cannot wait to see
what comes next, and what
comes after that, and after
that.
As a mother, it is nigh
impossible to resist the
urge to make predictions. I
watch you put on a princess
dress and grab a guitar,
and I think, ``She’s going to
be a rock star.’’ I watch you
hang by your knees at the
playground, and I think, ``A
gymnast!’’ I watch your
tightrope routine and think,
``The next Tina Fey.’’
But I know very well
that all those predictions
are idle amusements with
very little connection to the
future you will make for
yourself.
But there are some
things that I know for sure
about you - things that will
be a part of who you are no
matter what you do.
You are strong, both in
body and soul. You have a
love that is as big and warm
as the August sun. You
have a mom, dad, brother
and (eve, even) a sister who
can’t believe their luck to
be your family.
Elizabeth Trever Buchinger
is happy to be a supporting
player in her daughter’s
Britcom. You can
connect with her at www.
moremindfulfamily.wordpress.
com
This Wonderful Life
October 30, 2009
This Wonderful Life: To Posey on her fourth
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- This Wonderful Life: I can say No, but I prefer Yes If popular culture is any indication, it seems women suffer from an epidemic inability to refuse additional responsibilities. Magazines, self-help books and therapists nationwide offer heaps of advice on how to assert oneself, draw boundaries and generally say No when asked to sign on for those things for which we have little time and less interest.
- This Wonderful Life: I wish someone had told me Disclaimer: Because my son more or less demanded that I stop using him and his life as material for my column back when he was 12 or 13, I want to make it perfectly clear to all my readers (and any legal professionals who are now retained or may be retained at some future time by aforementioned son) that this column is not about him. It’s about me. The fact that he happened to turn 21 on Saturday is mere coincidence. So help me God.
- This Wonderful Life: A view through bare branches Every morning, Bee and I stand at the end of the driveway waiting for her bus and we look up into the branches of the elm tree that arches over the drive.
- This Wonderful Life: To Posey on her fourth So here we are, on the other side of 3-years-old, and it seems we both survived it intact. It wasn’t easy, but perhaps it made us both stronger.
- This Wonderful Life: A Posey by any other name... A few weeks ago, Posey gave us all new names. Or, to be more accurate, Posey gave us all one new name. Rose.
- This Wonderful Life: Are pork chops really that good? If it seems unlikely for a vegetarian (that would be me) to own a couple of table- bound pigs, it probably seems downright absurd that their names should be Tender and Delicious.
- This Wonderful Life: I sssssseeeeeee you there The first thing you should know is that I used to suffer from a snake phobia. The operative word there is phobia. It wasn’t just a matter of disliking snakes. It wasn’t a fear of being bitten. It wasn’t a simple reluctance to touch their impossibly dry, nimble bodies.
- This Wonderful Life: What’s so funny? My kids, I hope In my experience as a three-time parent, there is something absolutely, spiritually magical about the first time your child cracks a joke.
- This Wonderful Life: Who are these little girls? There are two children in my house who bear a striking resemblance to my daughters. They are adorable, smart and energetic.
- This Wonderful Life: A harvest that’s good for the soul Signs of harvest are all around. The afternoon sun glows amber over the fields and the farm stands are filled to overflowing with vegetables and fruit. We’re lucky to live in a place where we can have such an immediate connection to the food we eat.
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