Squeaky Wheels (The world needs more Ts in it)

It’s often said that squeaky wheels get the oil and it’s absolutely true. The question is, is it fair??

In our family, there one child who is so intense, so persistent, so over-the-top, so busy, that he demands a lot of our attention. I am forever feeling guilty about the amount of time and energy spent with/on/managing this child and/or his behavior. On the one hand, I know that he needs this from us while, on the other, it seems very unfair to those who aren’t as squeaky, for lack of a better term.

Always in motion, even while reading.

Then, we have another child who is an extrovert. He walks into a room and folks notice him. He’s charismatic, he’s energetic, he’s insanely goofy. He makes others laugh. all. the. time. Everyone wants to spend time with him. He’s laid back and happy to be along for the ride. He doesn’t demand or require a lot of attention, but he receives plenty because others are naturally drawn to him.

Seuss, in all his fabulous Seuss-ness

And then there is T. She is the sweetest little soul. She’s a lover of babies and animals. We always call her Little Mumma because she is always taking care of those around her, especially her buddy Seuss. I catch her several times a day hugging Seuss, with her lips and nose pressed to his head, deeply inhaling. “Mumma,” she’ll say, “I just love the smell of him! He smells like Seuss!”

She is eternally putting others before herself. I could fill a book with stories of her sweetness. Multiple times a day, I notice the kind acts she performs for others. And they are performed without fanfare- if there is one thing that T doesn’t like, it’s attention. She gets antsy when too many people are paying attention to her. She’d much prefer to stand back a bit.

So, today’s post is about my sweet, sweet T. Although she feels supremely uncomfortable in the limelight, she deserves a gazillion shout-outs.

Our Little Mama and her Seuss