Melancholy Comes From Two Front Teeth

Two front teeth?  Why the heck should they bring about melancholy, you ask.

My 6-month old daughter now has two teeth, her lower middle two front teeth, to be exact.  And though seeing them made me feel proud and happy that she is developing well, that she is on her way to becoming a toddler soon, at the same time it made me sad.

Her two front teeth for me represent the beginning of her steps to independence.  She can now start to chew semi-solids.  Eventually she will graduate to eating crunchier (and hopefully still healthy) stuff.  Then she will move on to thinking for herself and moving independently -- crawling, standing, toddling along, then on to full blown walking and running.

And before I know it she will be grown up.

The logical part of my brain tells me that this is not yet to come for several years more.  However, the mothering part of me can't help but feel melancholic at this.  Of course, nobody wants their children to be fully dependent on them forever.  Everybody wants their children to grow up the best at anything and everything.

I guess what I'm trying to drive at here is that when my kids are all grown up, I will pine for the days when they were young and innocent and carefree.  When Mama and Papa could solve almost everything for them.  When their world was simple and uncomplicated.

I cannot prevent the cares of the world from being part of my daugters' lives, anymore than I can stop the passage of time.  I can just cherish the moments when they are still small and look at me with shining eyes and want to be with me always.

Time will come when they will have their own wings and soar on their own.

Until then though, I will count my blessings and be thankful.  My little girl's songs and dances and artwork.  My baby's gurgles and laughter, even as her two front teeth make me both happy and sad.