Empathy

Sophia just did something really sweet. She's still feeling sick today, with a cough and runny nose, and she ASKED to take a nap around 12:30pm (she NEVER asks to nap). So I tucked her into bed and headed to the kitchen to clean up the lunch dishes. But Sophia kept crying out in discomfort. After a few minutes, I went back into her room, cozied up next to her, and asked if she wanted a lullaby. She said, "Yes." We settled on "Goodnight My Angel" by Billy Joel. As I sang it to her, I watched her eyelids grow heavy. The song was over, and I gave her a kiss—told her I loved her. When I was leaving her room, she suprised me with, "Thank you." She had a tone of relief in her voice that seemed to mean, "Thank you for helping me relax. That was exactly what I needed. Now I can go to sleep." Something about it made me realize that Sophia really is growing up. Maybe because she is starting to understand other people, appreciating (rather than simply taking) the things they give—a little less of an egocentric baby and a little more of an empathetic young girl.