A shoe box filled with drawings, finger prints, a birthday card made by grubby hands, a feather, a stone, a box full of memories, and even a message that says, “I hate you” stuck on the door that can only make you laugh and cry at the same time.

With feverish fondness, I remember the many walks and the many rides to the little village, Invergowrie Primary, where Sophia started schooling. Warm summer afternoons, walking with the little ones, listening to their jokes and the continuous jibber jabber. In contrast to the stressful driving experience, the challenge of finding a parking space, avoiding the yellow lines and then ensuring that your tiny tot safely crossed the road, thanks to the lollipop man. Weather permitting, walking to school was much more fun and plain easy.

Preciously preserved memories of a late spring afternoon, walking back from school with the wee ones, blethering about school and friends and the events of the day. And Sophi says something, which, I cannot seem to remember but suddenly I was very upset and angry at something she had done. What I do remember however is that I was walking furiously and firing her, blissfully unaware that the little one was no longer walking with me. When I finally realise that I wasn’t getting any responses, I turn around to check and there she was with the biggest grin and handed me a bunch of wild flowers that she had been plucking along the way. So all the time that I have been telling her off like a typical tempered mom; she has been busy gathering flowers from the wayside for me! I am pleasantly surprised, speechless and at a loss for words.

Merely a toddler, not knowing to read or write or even talk and barely reaching the desk, she deftly played “Putt Putt goes to zoo” and knew her way around the computer, tumtumter as she called it, Sophia, now in her penultimate year of school aspires to study Computer Science.

My biggest critique, my reassuring confidante, my tech guru, at times humorous, at times opinionated but mostly a joy, my little big girl, my daughter. As she turns seventeen and eagerly waits to spread her wings and fly away, wishing her much success, truck loads of fun and a world of happiness.

 

Photo credit : PATRICK PLEUL/AFP/Getty Images