As my first born, Tovah, skipped off to kindergarten, Rayna began preschool. How did they get so old that fast? Both girls growing and happy. Happy children translate to a happy mother.
One day in mid-fall, the preschool teacher asked to speak to me after school. She had some observations about Rayna. Three to be exact. Observations? Beautiful singing voice, creative artist, and great smile?
The teacher’s first remark? She noticed Rayna was not alternating her feet when climbing and descending stairs. Second, when I dropped off Rayna at school, I was still carrying her.
And third, when the children were running races in the gym, she began to see a pattern that Rayna was always last.
Okay, nothing too drastic and all fixable, I thought. I began working with Rayna to alternate her feet, and she did it! Easy and one less concern. I stopped carrying her into school. Not as easy as the alternating feet lessons—at least emotionally—but I knew it was time to let go of that delicious stage in childhood. She will always be the baby of the family, but it was time for her to walk into preschool like a big girl. One of the many changes in life as I experienced the yin and yang of wanting to see my children soar with their own wings yet wanting to keep them young forever. And I immediately enrolled her in a gym class. Back to easy. Filled out the registration and put the date of the first class on the calendar. I took the teacher's suggestions seriously and addressed them all successfully.
Yet, shortly before that first gym class, another event occurred. It turns out that this set of observations was the forerunner to a bigger problem in Rayna—a much bigger problem.
I didn’t know how much life would change, the limitations life would deal her, the multitude of questions we would both ask, desperate for answers. Who will help her with…? Will she be able to...? How will she manage to…? And Rayna would have questions as well. Will I be able to drive? Who will cut my fingernails? Who will butter my toast?
Stay tuned for more details of what happened next.
