empathy

Ada has always been very observant. In fact if you go back a year on this blog you will probably find a post about me marveling at how Ada just takes in the world and lets it sink in. And as she has started to grow up and mature a little bit so has her observation skills. Add to that the ability to communicate and we have tapped into something really cool.

Elliot and I are now able to watch Ada grow emotionally as well as physically.

The other night as I sat in the kitchen with Ada as she ate her dinner, counting down the minutes until I had to leave for class I put my head in my hands to rest for a second. Ada was preoccupied with something Elliot was doing and I thought I could steal a quick relaxing moment without much notice. But notice she did! As soon as I put my head down Ada turned to me and very astutely said, "Mommy tired". I confirmed this for her that yes, I was tired, but I would be Ok. And without even thinking about it, and despite the fact that she was actually so full of energy that she was close to bouncing off the wall she cocked her head to the side slightly and said in the most reassuring voice she could find, "Ada tired" and nodded. You could tell by her words and her body language that she was trying to let me know that it was Ok to be tired, and that sometimes, she gets tired too, and if it made me feel better she would pretend to be tired so I wouldn't be alone.

Empathy.

I probably responded more boisterously to the first time I noticed she could talk or walk or roll over for that matter. But the moment I realized that Ada was developing real human emotional skills - I melted.