My Baby Is All Grown Up

Once upon a time......

A young woman stood outside the delivery suite.  She knew that when she walked back outside of that door she would be a mother.  She took a deep breath.....heart thumping almost out of her chest and opened the door. She never looked back...even once.

Not twenty minutes later she would hear the first cries of her first born child. It would be a sound that she treasured forever.

The little thing screamed morning, noon and night !
She had a mind of her own and a voice to go with it !
Just when you thought she had nodded off to sleep.....waaaaaa ! came the voice.   It seemed to go on and on and on and on.

Next thing you knew, the big brown eyes would look at you and bore deep into your soul. The little baby girl would win the argument every time.  She had the prettiest of little rosebud lips and the tiniest little ears with a slight pinch mark on the top.  The Mummy loved her baby more than anything in this whole wide world. She dressed her like a little dolly and loved nothing more than showing her off.

Years slowly turned.....her baby began to walk, talk and before you know it, had a personality all of her own. 
She had a gentle disposition and loved playing with her little friends.
The Mummy took her to a local playgroup, her little one loved to play on the little bikes and the swing but would never venture inside to the craft table.
More than anything the mummy longed for a little painting or even a scribble on a piece of paper from her little one.  She wanted to hang it on her fridge for all to see.

This one fine day, the mummy finally encouraged her little girl to the finger painting table.  A bunch of little children were happily dipping their fingers into the gooey paint and dredging big blobs of paint across the big, white sheets of paper.
"Would you like to do one too Ruby?"  asked the mummy
Screwing her face up but curious just the same, little Ruby ever so slightly dipped her finger tip into the red paint............
"AAAHHHHHH"  came the scream
"Yucky Mummy Yucky !"

and the rest is history !    My little Ruby very quickly became a princess. She went to school for the first time, rode her bike all by herself, learned to read and write and much, much more.
She was delicate like a flower and had the grace of a true little lady. She had manners, spoke beautifully and matter of factly.
She was the light of her mummy and daddy's life.  She was their precious little princess.

No longer it seemed that she had started school that it was time to go on to high school.   Where on earth had the years gone ?   Wasn't it just yesterday that the young woman had stood outside the delivery suite ready to bear her firstborn ?  Those days had seemed to have flown by at the speed of sound.  Days of choosing pretty little baby dresses had turned into shopping trips buying lipstick and high heeled shoes.
Where had the days of watching ballet classes and playing in the park  gone to.  Surely Father Time had had stolen the years away.

The mummy wanted to turn back the clock, she wanted to hit the snooze button and stop her baby girl from growing up so fast. She wanted to keep her young for as long as possible. She was slipping through her fingers and she didn't like it one little bit.
Her baby girl had turned from a tiny screaming baby,  to a young beautiful woman who had her own loves and interests.

"Please angels above, I feel like my baby girl is growing up  and away from me. I don't want her to ever forget her mummy is here for her. Please remind her that we love her when we can't be with her. Please keep her safe and happy and healthy".

The mummy wanted all of the best things in life for her gorgeous girl.  She wanted her to follow her hopes and dreams and to always feel love in her heart.  She hoped that she had taught her girl enough of life's ways for her to go out in the world and create her own little life. She knew that her daughter had beautiful qualities and held honesty in her soul. Their relationship had been built on trust and the mummy knew she could rely on her girl to hold on to this value.

Years later a big, grand day had arrived. It was the day of her girl's formal.
The mummy and the daughter went out and picked a pretty dress. They also together chose  drop dead gorgeous, raspberry red suede shoes.  Then there were the accessories.
The daughter had her makeup done and a stunning new hairstyle.
She looked absolutely amazing !!!

The mummy looked on all the while with a little tugging sensation in her heart.  She could feel the slipping sensation all over again.  Her baby had almost grown up.  She had been with her for almost 16 years and she didn't want it to ever end.  With a frown she realised that it was inevitable that soon enough, more years would pass and it would all be over.  This divine child would leave the comfort of the mother's nest and would fly away like a little bird.

                                                       .......................
The mother stood alone in the crowd at the formal. All of the mums and dads were proudly taking photos of their children. Cameras were clicking away and high heel shoes clicked away just as quickly against the pebble concrete.  The gentle swish of floaty fabrics and the scent of French perfume filled the air.  Laughter and happy grins were all around her.
What a glorious occasion she thought to herself.

Her daughter was standing there before her. She was laughing with a group of her friends and had such joy on her face.  She looked over at her Mother and smiled. 

Her mother felt so proud she could almost burst.

Soon enough it was time for the parents to depart and leave these young people to enjoy their special evening on their own.
One by one the crowd slipped away.....
The mother slowly walked towards her car, a touch of sadness in her heart.  Her baby girl had already begun..........begun to fly
and soon enough she would soar......

The mother hopped into her car. She sat quietly and gathered her thoughts.  She wished for her sweet hearted daughter a wonderful night full of lasting memories.  She looked so grown up in her pretty black dress and raspberry red shoes.
Tears were just behind her eyes. "hold it together," she told herself.

and as she drove off.......it came......

a text

"I love you Mum"

her gorgeous girl had never forgotten her mum, even in her time of pleasure. She had said the words that the mother had been longing to hear. The three most precious words in the world......I love you

Tears that had been held in now streamed down the mothers face.
She wore a big wide grin on her face and her heart was beating happily.  She leaned forward and turned on the radio. A happy tune came on and she began to sing.  Life was such a crazy place but the gifts that it gave were worth all of the heartache that came along with it.

The world was turning ever so gently on it's axis. Her daughter was growing up, BUT......no matter where time and circumstance took the pair, they would always share love.
After all she was her mother's baby girl and always would be, no matter how grown up she became.

and so it was

I love you Ruby so very much. You have the sweetest heart and the most gentle soul.  Thank you for choosing me to be your mum
                                               xo