Proud Papa

I think it is fair to say that all parents love to brag about their kids. I certainly am no exception. So there we were this morning in the clinic to get Maggie's stitches removed and I was extremely proud of her bravery. She didn't cry or whine or even flinch as the silk was pulled from her face. Perhaps listening to her answer questions in Spanish that the nurse was asking (in Spanish) that buffered my initial impression of the scar that remained on her face.



I know it will fade but I guess I would rather have other souvenirs of our visit here. But on the other hand it kind of makes Maggie who Maggie is. Was I distraught when she was three and tumbled out of the stroller and chipped her front tooth? Yes, but now I don't even notice it anymore - after all, the chipped tooth fits who she is.

And who is she? She is the kid who notices fourteen of these really cool grasshoppers hanging out on the flowers near the path on our way to school. She is the kid who smiles and waves as her classmates greet her with their familiar call of "MAGGIE!" (you have to say it pronouncing the A as an "aah" sound). And she is the kid who can recognize the subtle call of a toucan from a distant treetop-stop and wait for it to fly by.



The rain has stopped for the moment and everything is a bit soggy. We love looking out to the distant hills to see the low clouds blanketing the trees. It is like seeing a "cloud forest" up close.