Our friend Elizabeth came to town last weekend. I knew it would be fun for me personally, but I forgot what a gift it would be to have another adult really engaging with our children as they are. Taking Penny out to lunch and suggesting they paint their nails together. Practicing a TikTok with both girls until they more or less could perform it. Sitting at the dinner table with William and discussing pop music and reality TV. Running in a 3-mile race for mental health awareness with our whole family.
Most of these are things I cannot do for our kids. I don’t dance. I don’t even have a TikTok account. I get impatient with painting toenails. I have no pop music knowledge to draw from. And instead of seeing those as deficits, I can see them as invitations, openings for other people to connect with them and see them and love them.
I am so grateful that we need each other.
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