Cry If You Want To...

It's the comprehension that gets me...her understanding of this moment or that. Tonight, watching Lady and The Tramp II she started to cry when Scamp was dragged away by the dog catcher. Yup...cue sad uber-timely music, watch the eyes fill up with quiet tears, barely manage the glance at Dad to see if everything is going to be okay, and turn back to the film as the tears stream down her cheeks. This is a sensitive little girl.

She didn't make a big fuss, she wasn't inconsolable, she just recognized the moment as being worthy of emotion, of tears even, and let 'em fall. She's cried before, of course, but this was different. It wasn't fear, or an abrupt or unexpected scolding...it was sadness, and some tiny little two and a half year old version of compassion, and it tugged at every heartstring ever dangled from my heart.

I told her that everything was going to be okay, and of course it was, but she knew that, she just couldn't keep the tears from falling.