She is a Worrier

The last few weeks have been a time of much stress and more sudden bouts of tears than any other time I can remember.

There were the silent flowing tears of worry: Youngest riding home from school lamenting her fate. Leaving daycare, a place of refuge and safety and heading to kindergarten, an unknown.
me: "There will be lots of friends in kindergarten, a nice teacher, and you get to be at the
same school as Boy."

youngest: "But I will miss my friends. Look, I'm about to cry here!"

There were the angry tears of frustration: Youngest yelling through the house as she walks to the living room with her suit bottom at her knees, "I can't pull up my wet bathing suit!"

There were the jagged tears of change: Youngest: "But I like 4. What if only bad things happen at 5?" (Kinda nice that 4 was so great)

Yes, youngest turns 5 today. The stress of the day has been apparent in her restlessness, tears, and night waking for weeks. I tend to believe it is not the actual age that brings about the stress, but all the changes that are to accompany it. There is a farewell to the daycare that she has been attending since infancy, a change into the schedule (or lack thereof) for summer, the age thing, and the looming unknown of school.

Though we understand these things, it has not made her an easy person to live with the last few weeks. Waking this morning, I had no idea what the day would bring. Would we be experiencing the hard-to-please princess that has emerged? Or would the flexible easy-going child celebrate her birth? When she bounded onto my bed this morning, I opened my eyes and hoped for the best.



Greeted by a bright smile and a shining spirit that was born 5 years ago, I knew that some of the stress has been lifted from those still small shoulders. Sometimes we forget that childhood can be stressful. Every change is major, as the basis for comparison is so small; and the only reassurance is time. So, here is to time bearing out my repeated assurances that 5 is a great age to be. Happy Birthday Youngest!