your life over mine

growth

A baby's laughter is the most sacred sound in all the land. And when Bree got to wake up to that noise every morning, she believed she had died and gone to heaven. Each morning Bree would hear her baby girl's laughter and coos, and when she opened her eyes, she would see her loving husband holding their child and giggling along with her.
She was happy. Life had never been so full of love. But as Robin and Bree's baby girl aged, the fear of explaining everything to her grew.
Along came preschool. Bree and Robin took baby Alissa to a small school on day one, and Bree sobbed violently. Not only because her baby was growing up, but because she was afraid that she would have to soon explain why Ali's mama was different from the rest.
On the first day of kindergarten, Bree cried a little less hard.
And in first grade, she cried barely at all.
Year by year passed and Ali grew to be such a strong girl, and she didn't point out her mother's differences.
By fifth grade, Breezy was no longer worried, only curious. Finally she worked up the courage to ask her own child,
"do you ever wonder why your mommy is different from the rest?"
but her baby girl responded with
"no."
In middle school, Ali began to truly find herself. She began dying her hair and dating boys, along with girls.
In 7th grade, Bree brought up the question again.
"do you think your mom is different from the rest?"
and her baby girl responded with
"yes."
Before Bree could ask why, she was back to her room to do homework.
High school came around, and though 8th grade had had some difficulty to it, Ali looked forward to being a freshman.
As Breezy and Robin dropped Alissa off on the first day, Breezy asked
"do you think it matters that your mom is different?"
and her baby girl responded with
"yes."
As Robin, Breezy, and new addition to the family, Cat (the dog), drove Alissa a few hours away to take Alissa to college, Bree brought up the question one last time in asking.
"why didn't you ever wonder why your mother was different?"
and her baby girl responded in more than a word this time,
"because there is no point in wondering something you already know"
By the end of the long drive, Bree had only one more question,
"why does it matter that your mom different?"
and her baby girl responded once more,
"because I was raised with the belief that different is much better than normal. That differences are something to be celebrated, not shamed. You are beautiful, Mom. Your differences make you the most inspiring and amazing woman I know. And when kids in my school would tease, I would laugh. Not because I was taking their side, but because they were silly. And they only proved my point. I was raised 'differently' and because of it, I was a better person."
and as Ali got out of this car, Breezy sobbed violently, not only because her baby was grown up, but because she was proud she didn't even have to explain why-Ali just loved her mother despite her differences.