Not just words

I was washing my face this morning and before doing so I put my hair in a messy bun and a headband on to keep the little fly-aways off my face.  Drew was in the bathroom with me.  She usually misses this ritual of mine because I usually do it at night when she's already in bed.  I watched her watch me in amazement.  I was thinking to myself, "What is she thinking?  Why is this so interesting?"  That's when she said, "Mommy, what are you doing that for?"  I told her I wash my face everynight and did last night but this morning I thought it may help me wake up a little so I was doing it again.  She said, "Oh.  I like your hair like that."  I laughed a little, looking at my horribly messy appearance.  Then she said, "You are so pretty."  It nearly knocked me to my knees because I knew she meant it.  She was just watching me in the mirror for minutes and then said it.  She didn't want anything, she wasn't distracted at all.  This is a child who is sneaky and often unkind to her baby sister and who doesn't flinch when I yell at her.  She's stubborn and independent and has been since the day she was born.  Somedays my method of dealing with her is killing her with kindness because it's my only option.  I speak those kinds of words to her all the time but she is not free with the compliments.  I wouldn't expect her to be, she's only 5.  But it's not just that, she's just not the touchy-feely kinda gal.  She's just like her daddy and had I hooted about what an awesome thing to say, blah, blah, blah she would have just walked out.  Instead I knelt down and hugged her and told her she just said something so kind that it made my heart so happy.  She smiled and then said I got soap on her shoulder.  Then she walked out.  But she got it.  And so did I. 

A great lesson from that 5 year old girl.  If you feel it, say it.  And then walk out if you feel like it.  But say it.