Send Her Packing

Four days after I was done with school this year, I needed to start packing a child's lunch again. This was for an 18-year-old, mind you, but I was happy to help as she had long days ahead of her with 4- and 5-year-old's in a camp setting.

We all knew we'd miss her....

and that days around here would be just a little quieter with her gone til dinnertime.

After packing her lunch for a few weeks, she asked me to write her name and the name of her group on the front of the bag because it all got thrown in a bin when she got to camp according to age division. So I wrote "Lauren...Cubs...." and then I just couldn't stop myself as my pen went further down the bag and drew a big smiley face on the front. There. That looked better now.

When she came out to pick up her sack, she looked at the bag with a questioning smile and said, "What is THAT?" Without answering, I just threw a big ol' smiley face on me, turned her to the front door and sent her out.

Days passed. Lunches were packed. I experimented with every stick figure and form of a smiley face that I knew how to draw. And each day she'd turn the bag around on the counter to see what creation I had affixed front and center to her bag that day. And usually I got the same slightly off grin that said, "Ok Mom, I get it...you love me....".

Just the other day she picked up yet another lunch from the kitchen on her way to camp. She stopped for a moment and said, "You know Mom, all my friends really like that you put a smiley face on the front. They think it's neat." Inwardly I heard her finish the sentence with, "And so do I."

Wow. Mission accomplished.