Maj has a frog.
She used to have two frogs. Their names were Big and Little.
Shiny rubbery blue-green Australian White’s Tree Frogs.
Beyond adorable.
These frogs had been a part of our household for several years before we moved to Oregon, and the slightly smaller frog (whose name was Big) . . . he had issues. A long while back, he tangled with a branch and somehow poked himself in the eye and then lost the sight in that eye. Leaving him almost completely unable to catch the crickets that hopped and chirped about in his terrarium.
Which meant that Maj had to feed Big the Frog by hand.
Which she did.
It would not be possible for me to overstate the love that Maj had for these two little green rubbery men.
The move up here was very hard on Big the Frog. Too much stress.
He died soon after we arrived in Oregon.
Sigh.
Maj was heartbroken.
And so now she has only Little the Frog.
She would like to get Little a companion frog, but she worries that Little is all heartbroken and would be insulted by the offering of a new best friend. There is also the question of companion size . . . the pet stores around us only sell baby Australian Tree Frogs. Maj is pretty sure Little would eat a baby frog, as it would look too much like food.
Little the Frog’s terrarium is in Maj’s room. She tends to his every need. Clean moss, heating pads, special lamps, two small ponds, sticks and leaves on which to climb. She monitors and regulates the temperature and the humidity . . . watching for variations that might cause her pet stress.
Little’s smallish world is pretty much perfect.
And then there is his water . . . Maj carefully treats all of his water to remove chlorine and other possible toxins. She knows that frogs absorb water through their skin, and that any contamination? Passes easily into the frog.
Maj wards off all possible environmental stress and contamination.
Maj is a very attentive girl.
She notices changes.
Sigh.
Just before school started this year? We took the girls on a drive. Nowhere in particular. Just stopping along the way to play in a river, collect some rocks, climb some trees, eat an ice cream cone, take some photographs.
A lovely day.
Maj always likes to have a plan and a schedule, so this sort of day is hard on her.
What are we doing next?
She doesn’t like surprises.
And then? Maj surprised me.
“Pull over! Daddy, pull over!”
“What?”
“Did you see that pond filled with lily pads? Please turn around. I want to take some pictures of the lily pads!”
“Sweetie, we’re on our way home. There’s nowhere for me to turn the car around.”
“Oh, please, Daddy? Please?”
And so Mark turned around. Pulled off the road.
And Maj leapt from the car to run down the small dirt path that led to the pond. Worked her way down to the water’s edge and reached down to caress the smooth round edges of the waxy lily pads. Stood quietly and stared out over the lush green circles that blanketed the edges of the water.
Maj is so often tense. Her beauty in moments of peace?
Overwhelms me.
I whispered, “Maj! Look there . . . just to your left . . . sitting on the lily pad. Shhhh . . . move quietly.”
Two small green frogs. Sitting and staring up at Maj.
She stared back at them . . . Maj had never before seen frogs in the wild. Not ever.
Maj’s entire being just filled with joy. As though she was pulling it from the air and water around us . . . absorbing it . . . taking it in. A magic pure joy that danced below the surface of her skin like sparkles of electricity.
To see that joy? To see Maj transformed by that joy?
I could see all of who Maj is play across her features . . . and my eyes filled with tears.
I saw all of my time in this life with Maj race before my blurred eyes. I saw baby Maj and toddler Maj and little girl Maj and this Maj right here . . . staring at these wide-eyed frogs.
And I saw Maj as the woman she will be . . . and oh my god, I hope I am here to see Maj become that woman.
People?
There is magic in this world.
Frogs sitting quietly atop a lily pad, awaiting our arrival in a small roadside pond.
An unexpected request from a girl who does not enjoy the unexpected.
A chance meeting.
And then . . . a change in the atmosphere.
Absorbed.
And a vision of the future.
A gift from frogs.
Oh my. That is beautiful. I have little tears. The sweet kind.
Thank you for that picture of Maj in that moment.
Happy sighs that you can see her.
Thank you.
Please, a little warning such as “may induce tears of joy,” so that we could at least be prepared with a box of Kleenex. That would be considerate of your audience’s needs *sniff*
I don’t give warnings, silly you.
I like to be swept away when I read. I do not like signposts that tell me of what is to come.
And so none for you.
And I am so happy you were swept away by this story.
Love that.
I am not used to crying when I come here. Not one bit. This was beautiful though. Thank you Kris, for sharing that moment with us.
I have poignant moments here on Pretty All True.
I do.
I like to mix things up.
Love you.
So very perfect, this moment.
Thanks, you.
It was perfect in the experience.
So if I have captured some of that to share with you?
I am very happy.
Maj is simply glorious.
And you? Remarkable for stopping to breathe in that moment. For appreciating the magic that emanated from her.
For letting her be the girl she is…exactly as she is.
So lovely.
You are the Queen of small moments held and appreciated.
I always think of you when I write a post like this.
Thank you.
You know how beautiful that was. I do not have to tell you.
But I will: this post is breath-stoppingly lovely. I understand what a gift that was to see Maj inhabit herself fully and surrender herself to the moment. Your connection with and love for your daughter is palpable. Thank you for sharing that so lovingly with us.
I do not always blog in real time here on Pretty All True.
I made notes that evening (several months ago), but this is not a diary. I do not always share what has gone on in a particular day.
So this story sat unwritten. All mine. Held it for a while.
All mine.
And then today . . . I felt like sharing.
Thank you.
makes perfect sense to me: it was written in the fullness of time. Had to percolate for a while.
Yes.
Exactly like that.
Nothing beats a smile inspired by a Maj story…
damn that feels good.
Her stories are so wonderful and overwhelming.
Precious electricity.
Beautiful writing…
Maj is my first.
My oldest.
Me.
Not me.
I am all caught up in her.
me too!
Thanks for having her and sharing her with us.
Awwwww . . .
That is lovely.
aawww that was so touching and breathtaking. i’m speechless and teary eyed. Thank you for writing this and sharing this beautiful moment with us.
Love that, babe.
Thank you.
I hope you are still posting here as Maj grows up because it is so wonderful getting to see her and Kallen (and life) through your eyes. Beautiful, really beautiful.
I will always be reading but not always posting.
Thank you.
We’ll see what the girls think about me writing about them as they get a little older.
Adjustments may need to be made.
And you do not always need to comment . . . the connection I have with you?
Is strong.
I love seeing this side of Maj. She is such a special girl.
She really really is.
Thank you.
just beautiful. i love that you connected with her in that moment – like you saw her soul. really amazing.
also? i absolutely love that Maj is such an attentive pet-keeper. Little is a very lucky frog.
Awwww . . . you guys are making me teary.
Thank you.
I have no words that could match the beauty of the words I just read. A story about a kid and a frog? Making me teary eyed? Unheard of.
This was breathtaking. I don’t even know if that word fully describes how I felt while reading this.
I cannot begin to express how delighted I am that you connected with my words here today.
Thank you.
Maj has so much love to give. With all her hyper-safety and caregiving and bossing, she is like a little mom already. Adorable.
She does.
Maj is filled with love and tenderness.
And anxiety and bossiness.
But the love?
It’s huge.
There are those moments in your life when you are truly yourself because you are lost in the moment. They are few and far between.
Seeing someone else in one of those moments is magical and joyful.
And feeling your joy at seeing Maj in that moment, and seeing her through your words is also wonderful.
I read your new posts before I go to bed. Tonight I go to bed filled with the joy you share in this post. Thank you for that.
Oh, I am so glad I could send you off to bed with joy.
And I am so glad that you were able to connect to the joy in my words.
Love you, babe.
Night!
OMG love this post. Beautiful… and I’m teary-eyed. Children are amazing to watch grow up. Such a wonderful gift.
Thank you.
It is a gift, seeing these girls grow up.
Yes . . . a gift.