Oh boy, I've got joy.

Many of my posts about this little beauty revolve around her impossibleness. I feel badly about that. I named her after me (my name means "graceful lily") and, as irony would have it, she has a way of baffling me again and again. The two of us share so few traits. And yet, I can't say enough good about this dear child. She graduated from her first year of Joy School this past week. Though I sometimes worry that her unique form of independence (and sheer loudness) will translate into disruptive behavior in a class setting, I knew, beginning the year that she would thrive in Joy School. You see, to me, Lily embodies "joy". Her complete confidence sometimes betrays her into being perceived as a difficult child. Lily is unique, and she loves it. She is completely convinced that everyone should love her to bits, and we do. She's affectionate, sensitive, friendly, funny, smart, happy, imaginative, creative, and, most surprising of all, she's grateful. How many children do you know who will turn to a mother spontaneously and say, "Mom, thank you for helping me clean up my mess"? Lily does it. She thanks me all the time for the typically overlooked bits of service I render as a mother. I love my Lily, and I'm so proud of who she is and who she's becoming. Congratulations on a great year, Lils.