Today's Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[Guest guest]

My Daughter, My Teacher

By Janet S. Meyer

Children teach us something every day. As a parent, I

have learned to expect this. Yet sometimes the extent of

what my daughter teaches surprises me.

When Marissa was six months old, it seemed she was

always looking up. As I gazed upward with her, I learned

the magic of leaves dancing on trees and the awesome size

of the tail of a jet. At eight months she was forever

looking down. I learned that each stone is different,

sidewalk cracks make intricate designs and blades of grass

come in a variety of greens.

Then she turned 11 months and began saying " Wow! " She

spoke this marvelous word for anything new and wonderful to

her, such as the assortment of toys she spotted in the

pediatrician's office or the gathering of clouds before a

storm. She whispered, " Oh, wow! " for things that really

impressed her, like a brisk breeze on her face or a flock

of geese honking overhead. Then there was the ultimate in

" Wow, " a mouthing of the word with no sound, reserved for

truly awesome events. These included the sunset on a lake

after a magnificent day in Minnesota and fireworks in the

summer sky.

She has taught me many ways to say " I love you. " She

said it well one morning when she was 14 months old. We

were cuddling. She buried her head in my shoulder and,

with a sigh of contentment, said " Happy. " Another day

(during her terrific twos) she pointed to a beautiful model

on the cover of a magazine and said, " Is that you, Mom? "

Most recently my now three-year-old walked into the kitchen

while I was cleaning up after supper and said, " Can I

help? " Shortly after this she put her hand on my arm and

said, " Mom, if you were a kid, we'd be friends. "

At moments like this, all I can say is, " Oh, wow! "