If I am not I, who will be?

I'm off to a doctor appointment today and I really shouldn't take the time to write this, but I wanted to do it this morning lest I forget.



Kate made me laugh this morning.

I was waiting in the bathroom for her turn in our line-up of morning hair-do's when she marched in and announced, "I prefer ponytails today, please!"

That's my Kate.

I chuckled out loud (because Kate makes me do that) and then asked her if she got her lunch.  When she said yes, I double-checked to make sure she knew hers was the blue lunch box (she and Emmy had different orders today).  Again, she said yes.  "But if I got the wrong one, I could just ask my teacher if I could quickly go to Emmy's class and trade," she said cooly.  "But that won't be necessary."

Once again, I laughed out loud, telling my Kate, "You make me laugh."

With that, she grinned and said, "I do that to a lot of people.  That's cuz I'm just myself."



But the best part?  It was still to come.  It will make me smile all day.

"It's best if I'm just myself.  I figured that out a while ago.  First, from experience.  And second, if I try to be someone else it doesn't work out so well.  It's like that sign you have hanging up in my room (one of those that I love but I wonder if the girls ever read), 'If I am not I, who will be?' "  She paused, "I think about that saying all the time".


You make me very happy, Kate Jeannett Wood.






(In case you're wondering, Henry David Thoreau deserves the credit for that favorite quote of mine.  That makes it even fancier, eh?)