sometimes most times
when things are
at their most
difficult, madeline is
there to
distract me. remind me
just how happy
i can be.
and she does this
just by growing up.
today, she sat
silently mostly quietly
on my lap in
a theater in hollywood
as we watched
a movie.
there was a little
talking, but mostly
it was laughing
at the right times
(indicating that she either gets the jokes or she laughs when others laugh, either way it’s a good sign).
then on the way
home we crossed
a major potty-training milestone
(i’ll spare everyone the details in an attempt to not embarrass future madeline)
and i couldn’t
have been any
prouder of my
little big girl.
today, as i smiled
in that theater,
as i cheered
her latest accomplishment,
i realized that
no matter
how hard things
have been,
no matter
how hard things are,
no matter
how hard things become,
she has been,
she is,
she will be the
reminder that something
great is just
around the corner.