Hug Them

About ten days ago, we were invited to our first birthday party post-quaratine.  Twins from Tracey's kindergarten class had an outdoor water party with a few families -- it was probably 30 people total including children, but maybe 10 families or thereabouts.

Our children were SO excited to be attending a birthday party and seeing some friends again.

They were so excited to wrap the birthday presents and make the twins birthday cards.  They were so excited that everyone wanted to carry a present to the car.  Well, we had two presents and four children -- so I told the kiddos that two kids could carry the gifts to the car and the other two could carry the gifts in to the party.

Since these were Tracey's friends, she got to choose if she wanted to carry the gifts to the car or in the party.  She chose to carry a gift to the car, which surprised me.

I told her that I was surprised she wasn't going to want to carry a present in the party... (I wanted her to think ahead and really be sure about her decision.)

She looked right at me and said,

"I want to carry a present to the car.  When we get to the party, I don't want to carry a present - I just want to hug them."

Even now, as I type that, it makes me tear up.

My kiddos have been such troopers through quarantine.  They have handeled everything in stride, and I often delude myself into thinking that they didn't really notice the quarantine because they play together all day every day and they are not lonely or without peers.  But to hear her say something so heartfelt and sweet and articulate makes me realize how much this quarantine did impact her and how much she missed her friends.