While perusing my Facebook feed a couple weeks ago (which is actually when I started writing this post, but then life happened), I stumbled across a link to this article on the Huffington Post called “What Six Looks Like.” Written by Jennifer Rowe Walters, it details her reaction to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and a conversation she had with a friend that clarified that reaction. It’s a very moving post. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely check it out.
What does six look like? I think Ms. Walters does a pretty good job of showing us what six looks like. But what about ten? What does ten look like? Or nine? Or two? Or one?
I know what ten looks like. Ten is all newly-pierced ears and awkward questions about topics that parents would rather not discuss (“Daddy, what’s puberty?”). Ten is growing like a weed, wanting make-up and manicures and a new purse to match her dress. Ten is growing up too quickly.
I know what nine looks like. Nine looks tall and gangly, all arms and legs and skin and bones with a big, goofy grin. I know that nine is patient and loving and helpful…some of the time. Other times, nine is grumpy and stubborn and picky, but that’s part of being a kid. And I know that soon, nine will fade into ten and soon, that kid will be a kid no longer.
This is what two looks like
Photo by Kay Kauffman
I know what two looks like. Two sees everything with new eyes, because everything is new. Everything must be explored, even the things they’ve seen before because they might have changed. Two smiles with its whole face, all the way up to its eyes. Those beautiful little eyes sparkle in a way grown-up eyes have forgotten. Two snuggles up close for hugs and kisses, but just as quickly dashes off to play because two knows that cuddles are best left for story time.
I know what one looks like. One looks an awful lot like two, but smaller and a little more unsteady. One watches two like a hawk, wanting to be just like big brother. One tries things that two never dared, never dreamed, and laughs recklessly all the while. One can melt your heart even as he tries your soul.
I hope that I’ll get to see what other ages look like as well. In the meantime, I’m going to have to keep my eyes on Misters One and Two. What one doesn’t think of, the other one does.
(c) 2013. All rights reserved.
Related articles
- Nothing Better: The Science of Cuddles (everydayfamily.com)
Suddenly they all died. The end. 
I know what fifty looks like. Achy joints and regret for all the years I jumped down mountains, and out of perfectly good aircraft just to show how cool I was.
LikeLike
Man, and I thought having more kids after the other two were already out of diapers was crazy! I’ve been on an airplane once and that was three years ago when I went to Las Vegas for my honeymoon. I don’t think I could have been prevailed upon to jump from the thing if it had been on fire.
LikeLike
I only did it four times and not once did my chute open properly. On the last occasion when I had to dump my main and open my emergency, only to be pulled face first through a corn field,I decided to find a new hobby. I wasn’t in that much danger in the Royal Marines when people were trying to kill me.
LikeLike
And this is why I will never jump out of a plane. Never, never, never. For crying out loud, when they told me I had to check my bag on the last leg of our journey home because the bins were too small to fit our tiny suitcases, I looked at them like they had just suggested I lop off a limb for fun and profit. I was afraid I’d never see it again, so when the plane started making very loud and unusual noises about an hour later as we were descending into Des Moines and I asked Seymour what the noise was, he lied through his teeth because he knew if he did anything else he’d have to pry me off the ceiling (and that would have been the best-case scenario).
LikeLike
In the case of planes, I’ve already decided that if the driver tells us that “sorry but we’re going to crash.” then I might as well just enjoy the view. After already surviving three helicopter “prangs” i can’t summon the energy to worry about it any more.
LikeLike
Love, love, love!
LikeLike
Thank you! The more I think about it, the more ways I come up with to describe my kids by their ages. I could keep going forever, but I think people would get tired of reading. 🙂
LikeLike