First Day of 3rd Grade

Look at her. She takes my breath away. All snaggled toothed as only an 8 year old can be. She's getting on a bus that is driving her to a place that will keep her all day. I birthed this child. She came out of my body. I grew that hair, those hazel eyes, inside of myself. And now I am supposed to just watch her leave me for hours at a time. Out of my sight but never out of my mind. All day I yearn to see her smile. I wonder how she's doing, if she's happy. It's the plight of a mother is it not? Watching them grow and spread their wings.
Look at her. She's so stinkin happy and proud. Off to 3rd grade to see her friends. They talk of things I'll never know about. It used to be that I knew her every sound and movement. Now she has a life that sometimes will seem foreign to me.
I hugged her close to me when I picked her up from school. We caught each others eyes all the way down a long hall and we both raised a hand to wave. My baby, coming back into my fold. Me, a proud mamma, not letting her see my tears of happiness.
Happy first day of 3rd grade Elliot!

I love you more than air,
Mommy