Daughters

Whenever I used to imagine myself as a mother, I always pictured tons of thick-haired, messy little boys running circles around me. I imagined myself building Lego castles and getting scared silly by the garden snakes and spiders they'd put in their pockets. But I never imagined myself with girls.

So you can imagine my surprise and unexpected delight when I was told Fifii would be a girl.

Suddenly, all these new visions came into my head - pink dresses, Barbie dolls, baking sets, and flowers in the pockets. And Fifii was truly all of that.

Then I became pregnant again and was certain this one would be a boy. I still imagined myself the mother of boys. I remember the u/s technician saying, 'Looks like you are having a wee...' and I expected the next word out of his mouth to be 'boy' but instead it was 'lass'. What?! I actually didn't believe him. Another girl? Really?!

And the same excitement and bewilderment hit me as I suddenly readjusted my expectations from a mother of boys to a mother of girls. I saw hours of playing house, drawing pictures, dressing up, painting fingernails, and braiding hair before me. And the two girls were all of that.

I ended up finally with one boy, but for the time, while he's still only an infant, I am such a mother of girls. Everywhere I look I see lovehearts, pink frills, make-up, dresses, princess crowns, dolls and homemade cards. I am amazed constantly by those girls' inner and outer beauty, intelligence and independence. Fifii melts my heart with her tenderness, compassion, gentleness, creativity, sweet humour and deep love for others. Lolly bowls me over with her confidence, fearlessness, cheekiness, abilities, wild spirit and ferocious love. Together, their friendship and devotion to each other is powerful; regardless of how they may fight during the day, come nighttime, they are inseparable, often falling asleep in each others' arms, best friends and close sisters.

I am thankful for daughters.

(I will get to my son on a different day.)