It is Day 2 of Lisa Jo Baker's series 31 Days to Write Your Story.
I am writing 31 Days/31 Slices of Life with My Children and Me.
I didn’t want to pick Emma up from school tonight. I finally said, “Ok, Ok, I will get her” when the passive aggressive other person who might take that duty was being such a pain in my butt it just wasn’t worth it.
Samuel and I drove the ten minutes to East Bakersfield High
School and I started thinking how much I missed Emma, how much I always miss my
kids when we are separated. I don’t usually phone them because it hurts too
much. My eldest daughter lives in Scotland for this Semester – part of her
Junior Year Abroad, and I told her on Skype last Sunday, “Sometimes I pretend
you are still at Smith in Northampton. That is only
3000 miles away, not 3,000
miles of continent and then 3,000 miles of ocean!”
My children know they are loved.
Emma had been at school today from 7 am for zero period PE to 9 pm doing her Newspaper…. What do they call it? It is the time they put everything together, “create the pages” etc…. oh yes, LAYOUT.
Last year at this time Emma was a complete neophyte, a goofy freshman.
This year she is a winner of a statewide journalism contest and the managing editor of the paper as a sophomore.
She climbed into the car and I asked my usual question: “How did it go?”
“Surprisingly enough it went really, really well. I am so much better at this stuff this year.” Naturally this year she is a leader, too.
I didn’t need to remind her of that, she knew it before I spoke.
She was wearing a new dress and feeling satisfied. I could almost feel her patting herself on the back, “Job well done, me.”
When she auditioned Saturday for Regional Honor Choir I told her, “If you don’t make it, don’t feel badly about it. There are more chances to audition in the future.”
When she got out of auditions she felt good. “I am glad I auditioned and if I don’t get in, there is always next year and senior year.”
I had prayed for poise and sure enough, she was full of poise and grace. The accompanist messed up her part of the Italian Arts song and Emma just kept going, 100% professional.
I might not have had the overwhelming desire to pick her up tonight, but upon reflection I think of Saturday night when she said, “I’ll go with you. I like hanging with my Mommy.”
I like hanging with you, too, Emma.
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Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield.
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