Pink Slippers

today i bought some pink slippers. sweet little slippers with just enough fluff. not too much. just enough to keep my feetsies warm and up out of the way of the (sometimes) filth of the floor of this country farmhouse. 3 cats, 1 small puppydog and one hard headed crawfisherman who absolutely insists on traipsing about in his hip boots do not a spotless floor make.

i love my new pink slippers, and they remind me of times gone by...specifically...of my sweet baby (now 20 something) girl. she used to have this little pink gown and i can just see her now. it was a soft winter fabric sort of gown with a little empire waist, a ribbon going 'round. my new pink slippers remind me of that. she was (and still is) such a beautiful part of me. forever and ever firmly planted in my heart of hearts. she looked angelic in that pink gown, her fine, soft brown hair smelling so sweet. her plump little cheeks flushed with young life. she had this little hoarse voice. i will never forget the sound. what a busy little bee she was. she loved her little kitchen, flitting about making endless mudpies, oblivious to the antics of her older brother, attention-stealer that he was. questions, questions, always full of questions. but not my girl. quiet and meek was her style. and quite stubborn. many a day she sat at the breakfast table for an hour or more, stubbornly resisting mama's insistence that she finish her meal. while her brother sat diligently in my lap for the obligatory bedtime story(ies!) she fluttered around us. an omen of things to come i presume. my little social butterfly she did turn out to be.

oh, the bedtime rituals. bathing. the brushing of the teeth. bedtime story(ies). bedtime prayers. i loved to take a few moments to lie down with each of them after joining into each one's bedtime prayer. just to talk. or listen. or just be quiet. the utter bliss of walking down that hall knowing that all was well with my world. my babies all tucked in. and then here it comes. that little hoarse voice. "night, night mommy". turn around. there she is, laying on her belly, feet waving in the air, head peeking out of her bedroom door, chin resting in her hand. giving the final wave goodnight. her own little ritual. sleep tight sweet girl, in your pretty pink gown. tomorrow i'll wake you with a good morning kiss and a new day will begin.