05 November 2012

oh, esmé

that little thing. 




she begged for a clip to hold her hair back, and i kind of assumed her request was really a result of a few months of rugged aussies calling her a boy at school. nope. she just wanted to be able to see her paper better when she wrote. 

her confidence is like lillie's, which means the problems belong to you. not her. this philosophy gets dicey around fourteen and, i imagine, forty. but right now - when she's feeling beautiful despite what other small people may say - i'll take it.

yesterday, i got a little note from my friend in hong kong. it read: stella told me while she was doing homework, "mom, i wish esmé was in my class." why? i asked. "because esmé taught me that there's a u at the end of you. i wish esmé could help me now."




it's wonderful when you teach someone else something wonderful. it's even better when they remember it forever.

i've got to do that more often...

p.s. i forwarded that mail to pat, who is traveling, because i always try to make him cry. (it's a life goal of mine, made easier when he's airplane tired or just being the sappy italian he is.) he replied, "i wish someone had told me there was no v in of." drat. i should've saved it til he was on his second thirteen-hour leg.

9 comments:

Zakary said...

I hung a 16x20 canvas of the children while my husband was at work and then when he got home, I was all, "Oh, go look in the dining room". He saw it and totally cried.

I get you.

Amie Adams said...

I miss those girlies!! I hope our paths cross some day soon! xoxo I miss you!

Miss B. said...

Ah, that is too sweet both Stella's wish and your husband wanting to add a 'v' to 'of', he has a point though, English can be tricky like that;)

karey m. said...

z: the beginning of your comment read like a spam, and i was all "dang it! i LOVE her comments! why, spam, why?" and then i kept reading. i get YOU.

a: hopefully not soon because that would mean we had to leave here in a hurry! ha! but soon enough. visitors to my casa always love the photos you've taken of the g3. xo

t: HOW ARE YOU?! HOW ARE YOU?! i kind of miss hearing from you.

Unknown said...

.... you caught me completely off guard. saltwater tears don't taste too great in my herbal tea.

mary said...

I love Esme and - well - let's be honest, Pat, too. Forearms.

I super miss you. I wish we were neighbors!

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

in regards to the divine mary above, can't you two collaborate again? the world needs more sparkle, shine and sweetness.

and that esme, she gets life.

Leslie *Fresh Out of Lemons* said...

My youngest nephew, Seth, totally has that remarkable sense of self. One of my favorite examples is when he says that something is his "best." If you correct him-- tell him that the word is "favorite"-- he's say, "Oh, I know, but I say 'best.'" You can be correct too, but he's not gonna be wrong and is going to do as he pleases.

My sister's least favorite example of his extreme lack of what others think is when he recetly wet his pants in a (failed) attempt to leave kindergarten early! He cares nothing of the potential shame of being a "pee pee pants."

He's pretty awesome. :)

Shannon said...

Love. Just catching up on the light that you and your you's share with us. :)
~Shannon