Young at heart
Today, Emma woke up feeling bad. She normally loves laying in bed for long periods of time in the morning ( who doesn’t!), but today I could tell she wasn’t feeling well. OH! I thought!! I can finally ask her what ‘s wrong!! Yippee! She wasn’t really feeling good enough for a letterboard to be shoved in her face, but I tried to be gentle with it. I know that sometimes it isn’t a good time for her to communicate. There are times when she doesn’t want to point or she just points random letters. During those times I ask myself, “Is this just me? Can she really do this or do I want it so badly that I’ve concocted this whole thing in my mind?” But as soon as I ask myself that she blows me away with her unique and thoughtful words and I realize there’s no way I would have thought to put “patronize” in a sentence.
She told me it was her tummy, but she felt hot, too, so I gave her some motrin. She felt better within the hour. I LOVE that stuff. It has really come through for us all! I also recently found out she has headaches like mine, too. But they don’t seem to be as frequent or bad, thank God!
Later, we sat on the couch and I held the letterboard up. Sometimes, she will just reach out to it.
Emma: I read over our blog last night
Me: You did!!? What do you think?
Emma: I like it
later..
Me: Emma, do you remember when we had you on the diet a couple years ago? Do you remember if it helped at all?
Emma: I remember that I was hungry
Me: You were? I thought so. But do you think it helped clear your mind, help you focus?
Emma: No
Me: What do you think has helped the most out of everything I’ve done? What would you say has been the most helpful to you?
Emma: I think that it has helped that you are young at heart
Me: Really!? Wow. What do you mean by young at heart? How has that helped?
Emma: Because you are a gay and happy artist.
Me: Did you say “gay and happy”
Emma: yes
Me: Do you think that I’m an artist?
Emma: yes
Me: Are you an artist?
Emma: yes
Me: What kinds of things would you like to do as an artist?
Emma: paint
Me: I think we should start painting together. I think it would be good for both of us.
Paper kids 
Me, too. What a great idea!
Okay I have yet to read one of your posts that DOESN’T make me cry. Emma’s right – you are an artist!
This is such a great idea. I’ve always wanted to start a blog to share with the world all my ideas and knowledge that gets stuck in my head. Poems, letters, & music. Getting it out always helps…one way or the other.
Keeping a blog is also nice to reflect how far you’ve come, and how far you want to go. I might still do it and then we can share photos and music! I love you gals, and I’m so glad I can call such beautiful and inspiring ladies my family.
xo Anna
Thanks so much, Anna! Please let me know if you do start a blog! I’d love to read it! I missed seeing you. Love you girl!
Oh Sabra. I agree with Emma completely. The best mothering skill that you manifest is the young radiant youthful spirit that spontaneously dances, cuddles, laughs, hugs, plays….This youngness of heart is more valuable then schedules and or perfect therapy choices.
I hope you will always keep this in mind. You are a delight to be around. Even when I have seen you on a “dim” day, when you feel dull, the light/love of Christ shines brightly through your eyes.
Do you remember when we sang “Singing In The Rain” and danced with umbrellas?
Emma looked so happy. That was one of the moments that I knew that you were her best possible teacher.
Glo
The girls and I got out all the watercolor paints that we had this summer and painted for an entire day. It was such fun. Our patio table was littered with our art weighed down by rocks. I hope you guys have fun painting. Scan them and share!
So beautiful, i told u Emma was just like u… I remember ur painting, i remember ur poems, always young at heart ❤ Love always! Molly
Dear ones,
Oh it seems that having headaches seems to go with being sensitive and artistic. And it’s so hard to know what triggers them. I wish I could wave a magic wand and they would go away.
And yet I think that part of the cure is in the artistic process, that when we are “blocked” up in our artistry, that it does things to our bodies. Our bodies want to make art.
A friend of mine (an artist, writer, poet) makes collages. She said that a friend of hers who has an autistic daughter loves making collages. Something about glue, paint, fabric, all that “getting messy for beauty.”
How do we live our lives artfully? How do we balance the practical with the magical? For me, it’s paying attention to Truth, Beauty and Holiness.
With these words, with these actions you take one day at a time, something glorious and beyond ourselves is being created. Thank you for your courage, Emma, Sabra, Jared, and Hayden. Love Mom
This made me cry. Amazing. (sorry for all of the comments!)