A Valentine for Ethiopia

As T and Hubs prepared to leave the house this morning, I grabbed a washable pink marker and drew a heart on T's hand. He then drew one on mine. I kissed his heart and he kissed mine.

Then I suggested he draw a heart on Daddy's hand. He happily complied and then suggested we all kiss our hearts at the same time. "One, two, three, SMOOCH!"

Ah, attachment parenting at its best.

I gave him a hug and said, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Happy Valentine's Day to my whole family!" he chirped. "And for my family in Africa."

A sentence fragment that spoke volumes.

He has never before mentioned his Ethiopia family without prompting. This was the first time he dropped his guard to let me see that he is thinking about them, loves them, and misses them.

He is too strong to cry or let on that he is sad, this one. So the mere mention that he was thinking of them as this family drew hearts and kissed them and wished each other a Happy Valentine's Day is huge in my book. A tiny crack in the armor that he wraps fiercely around himself to protect himself from his emotions.

I cried. Happy Valentine's Day indeed to T's family in Ethiopia. He loves you and misses you.

Comments

  1. barb_alootFebruary 14, 2013 at 1:49 PM

    Hurrah for cracking armour and the sweet, delicate hurting hearts beneath. A happy mention of birth family is huge indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2013 at 2:24 PM

    Such progress. I can't even imagine what that day will feel like.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SueFebruary 14, 2013 at 5:55 PM

    I love that image of you drawing the heart on his hand. I get the sense that it is opening up deeper and wider and getting ready to go places it hasn't before. Attachment parenting at play.

    ReplyDelete
  4. knFebruary 16, 2013 at 7:15 PM

    Oh my. Those times can be so wonderful and heart wrenching at the same time. Look at him telling you this. Big stuff happening in his heart.

    ReplyDelete
  5. EleanorFebruary 22, 2013 at 6:34 PM

    Ah, what a day. Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

    ReplyDelete

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