"What the daughter does, the mother did." ~Jewish Proverb

The time is coming.....a time that I was so excited to see, but now fear the most.  My daughter, the light of my life and my rock, will be four Sunday.  Where has time gone?  I remember the first few days of her life.  Just rocking her and feeding her.  Laughing to her giggle in her sleep and intently listening to every coo.  Those days I prayed for the days she was to transfer from formula to milk and from diapers to toilet.  With the milk days came the words...words, words and more words....and her walking skills.  After that came the toilet days, the table food and SENTENCES!!  I would laugh at how words came out and work with her on how to say things correctly.  So thankful and impressed with how knowledgable she was and how fast she potty trained.  The check book was thankful too.  Then I grew with excitement for the days she wanted to pick out her own clothes, to show her sense of style, and Lord, her first day of school!  What could be more exciting.  Now with my little monkey, who is over half my height already, is nearing four which means school starts in exactly a month from her birthday.  I'm elated that now I will get to see and hear all the things she is learning.  After all, she can spell her name and just almost write her name on her own.  She is non stop talking and quoting songs, etc.  I can't help but now be sad and fear.  Sad that she isn't the tiny little baby rocking in my arms depending on me to bathe her, pick out her clothes and figure out her needs.  Fear that with school all sorts of new experiences will arise...good and bad, the bad I fear so much.  Now she picks out her own clothes, which is always interesting, and the imagination and creativity my child possess' is beyond my wildest dreams.  She still cuddles with me and loves me like I need her too, but she has also developed some independence.  She is so tiny to me and to envision this little one standing in the lunch line making choices without my help among other things makes me sad, scared and excited.  My little monkey is just growing up.  Words that she couldn't pronounce right she can now clearly speak.  Where has time gone?  I will continue asking for the rest of my life.  I pray that as my daughter turns four and as she begins school she will learn and grow into a beautiful, smart and wise woman who follows the path God has laid out for her.  I guess I just never knew how scary this really could be.