I used to view the world through my eyes only. This may not sound like a tremendous surprise, because it is hard to learn to look at everything around you as though through someone else’s glasses. Having children has changed this for me.
My world is no longer singular. At a mere 3 foot 3, Delaney’s landscape looks very different. Everything is bigger and anything seems possible. It is a world where Santa Claus still exists, where every ant, flower and three leaf clover are worth exploring, where every sound could be a jet plane or an impending thunderstorm, where naps are important (if not imperative), and there are no dreams too big.
It is the dreaming big that I remember from childhood.
It was during the summer Olympics 4 years ago that my first true flash of adulthood appeared. As a child, I always watched gymnastics. An injury when I was 9 kept me from truly pursuing the sport, but I never stopped being fascinated by the petite girls with the power to launch themselves into the air. But it wasn’t until 2004, as I was again mesmerized by the gymnasts, that my brain moved from thinking, “Wow..it would be amazing to be an Olympic gymnast” to “Wow, it would be amazing if Delaney was an Olympic gymnast.”
You see, it isn’t just about me anymore. My world view now includes a different perspective. Delaney started in gymnastics at The Little Gym when she was a baby. She loved it. But as she grew, and she started to take classes for true gymnastics, her fear of being the center of attention took over. So, we stopped.
Yet, she is fascinated by the Olympics, and specifically, the women’s US Gymnastics Team. Shawn Johnson is quickly becoming a favorite.
As she and I sat snuggled on the couch last night, (Daddy and Coop were upstairs watching baseball) she suddenly said, “Mommy, I’ll be right back.” She came back down with her leotard. She stood in front of the TV, trying to mimic the steps and moves of the gymnasts.
And, it was at this moment, that I, again, saw the world through her eyes. The possibilties are endless. If she wants to be a gymnast, she can. If she wants to be a doctor, she can. If she wants to sing, she can. If she wants to be a teacher, she can.
I love seeing the world from 3 foot 3.
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