Yesterday morning at the water park before I went to get my camera to take pictures of the kids I told Summer good luck going across the water obstacle course and that I would be right back. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, I can't do it by myself" and then had a complete and total melt down. She sat on the chair sobbing. I told her that this was a little crazy and that as soon as she settled down we could talk about it. So there she sat... with a wet puffy face in her bathing suit. All she kept repeating through her sobs was, "Mommy, you do not love your daughter? You do not love your daughter because you won't help me? Your daughter is crying and you don't care?" Leave it to Summer to add that little extra dramatic touch. It was all I could do to not laugh. Straight faced I responded back to her in 3rd person. I told her that I love "my daughter" very much and that "my daughter" was being a little bit dramatic considering this whole scene was all about her going across the lily pods by herself. Before she got up I had her come and sit on my lap with my arms wrapped around her. I explained that I believe she could do it. All she needs to do is to believe in herself. She calmed down, I gave her a kiss and off she went back in the line to wait for her turn.I am sure I have many years of these occasional emotional outbursts ahead of me. I just hope that "my daughter" will always know that "her mom" loves and adores her. How I love that beautiful smile of Summer's "I Did It!" written all over her face when she got to the end of the obstacle course. You bet she quickly went back in the line again.
