Those of you who knows my daughter, will know that she is very particular with strangers. Since the day she was born, she has been very expressive of who she liked and didn't like. Till now (aged twenty two months), I could literally count with my two hands, the number of people she allows to be in close contact with her, whether it's for a cuddle, carry or just be in close proximity. She was never the "smile at everyone" kinda baby, nor was she a child who laughs at the silliest things. Play peekaboo with her when she was younger, she'd give you that weird look that goes, "Wtf? That's just lame." lol.
Yes, she's my little miss Old Soul. Sometimes I do wonder, if she's a reincarnated human being, because she's often very matured for her age. She's very observant of her surroundings and its people, she likes interacting with older kids, and she's quite opinionated for her age, which is fine by me. Growing up without the luxury of expressing my opinions most of the time has allow me to appreciate how precious it is that one's child is given the opportunity to learn to show their true emotions and express exactly how they feel. It is only then they will learn how to control their anger and stress. (At thirty, I'm ashamed to say that I still don't control my anger very well. Sure, you seldom see me lose my temper, but that's because I've learnt the art of swallowing everything for the benefit of everyone. And when it comes a time when all those little angry bubbles inside become too much of a build up, I explode in ways that are out of my control. Luckily hubby has been very supportive and despite my spontaneous outburst at times, he still loves me enough to stay married with me. lol)
Anyway, back to the topic of the day. So if you knew my daughter, you'd know that this is a very big step for her - letting other people touch her and actually willingly offering someone else a hug. Other people might take the first look at her and said, "What's the big deal? My kid has been socialising with everyone since he was born." Well, every kid is different. You might not appreciate what you see, but as her mother, I couldn't have been prouder of my little bubba. Tiny steps they are, but at least she's taking them, and sometimes, tiny steps are what it takes to get you places far and beyond.
I love you, my little precious. One step at a time, mommy and daddy will always be right beside you. <3