The first week in the new place I spent unpacking and hanging out with the kids. Savannah was only going to be here for one week before she returned to New Orleans and that was weighing heavily on my heart and mind. I got the kids room set up first so that they had a sense of order and familiarity. I worked on the kitchen, living room and my bedroom and bathroom as the boxes came.
In an attempt to make memories and spend some time with my daughter I "made" her play Scrabble with Kevin and I! I loved every minute of it but she thought it was boring and when her dad called to talk to her she complained heartily about it, but always with a smile. She knew she was doing it for me and maybe when she looks back she will remember my effort and not how bored she felt.
Exactly one week after we unlocked the front door for the first time, I packed Savannah into the Explorer and headed to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. I enjoy the last hour or so with her when we drive to the airport, check in bags, crawl through security and wait for the flight. It's private time amidst a jumble of strangers. Somehow I feel closer to her but it's always with a mixture of heart ache and fierce pride that I see her go. I have always loved her with all my heart, and been proud of her as a mother is of a daughter, but since the day she started flying on a plane by herself I have been a little bit awed by her strength and courage. It is with these intense feelings that I watch her walk down the jetway and board the plane. She always looks back and waves and I love that. I wonder how her travel experiences as a child will shape who she is as an adult. I know it will make the world a little smaller and more easily accessible for her, and if she finds the world easy to navigate, what amazing places and opportunities will she find? I anxiously await the future.
Fearless
Courageous
Smart
Confident
Worldly
Proactive
Fierce
Protective
Vibrant
SAVANNAH
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