geminigirl | Fingerprints

In my living room, there's a glass curio cabinet. It's about six or so feet tall, glass on three sides. I have it mostly because there are some delicate things that need to be kept away from small fingers for now, and that's a fine way to do it and to still be able to enjoy them.

This morning, I walked out of the bedroom, and the light was just right, and there are some small hand prints, about two feet from the bottom. And while one day, perhaps I'll be frustrated with the sticky hand prints on the side of my cabinet, this morning, I looked and I smiled. And I shed a little tear. Those tiny hand prints belong to someone so different from the baby I held in my arms a year ago. Some days, that baby is very much a toddler-wandering around, exploring how her world works, full of independence and ready to face every challenge. Some days that baby is still a baby, like today, when many kisses and cuddles are needed to get through the day, when much of the day is spent clinging to Mama, unsure of the world around and needing a steady hand to hold on to.