Come play, Mommy

I've been thinking a lot lately about my role as a mother.  Charlotte's mother.  She has so much incredible energy and at times, I feel exhausted just watching her literally run from activity to activity.  She has a huge personality and is as independent as they come.
She is currently holding a pretend phone up to my ear telling me to say "Hello".  She is in the stage right now where her imagination is bursting at the seams.  My heart jumps when I see her gently holding her baby dolls feeding them their bottles, or when she is at her play kitchen making me lunch and tells me to blow on my food because "Its hot, Mommy!"
She has my heart to say the least.

Not long ago, whenever I would hear her say those words, "Come play, Mommy" my first instinct was, "I'm too busy."  She always seemed to catch me right as I was starting on laundry, or making phone calls, or jumping in the shower..... And my response was always, "Later sweetie, Mommy's busy."  Gosh, I wish I could go back and change my response.

One day after giving her my usual answer, a thought hit me like a ton of bricks, but as soft as a feather at the same time.  Go play with her.  Charlotte has always been so independent that she has never really "needed" me, if that makes sense.  She is a social butterfly.  So I was content to let her do her thing.  But I decided right then and there that I would (as much as humanly possible) say yes when she invites me.  I consider it an honor and joy to be invited by my daughter to go into her world of imagination.  Because I know that if I continue to reject her invitation, eventually, she's going to stop asking.  And that right there terrifies me.  So I am going to show her that I WANT to spend time with her.

Now, I look forward to her wanting to play with me and will cherish forever the words, "Come play, Mommy.  Come play with me."

I love you Lottie.