For three years a note hung on the mirror in my room, bringing a smile to my face every time I saw it. My son wrote the words “I lave you! Mommy,” cut it into the shape of a heart, folded it, and tucked it into my hand one day when I came into his kindergarten class. Now it’s lost. My kids have given me a lot of little notes, but only a few hold special places in my heart. This was the first one I remember getting from my son that choked me up a little. Simple words. But a mom notices the effort put forth to cut it out. At school no less. In kindergarten. When I missed him achingly every single day.
I volunteered in his classroom every week, and when I came in, looking forward to seeing my little boy, he gave me not so much as a nod, a glance, any sort of acknowledgement. It’s a far cry from the tactics I use to remove my daughter from my leg every week in her class and the twenty kisses I must give her before I shuffle out the door. So when he tucked that tiny folded note in my hand that day and I opened it, not only did the words mean a lot, the action spoke volumes.
A small act that meant a lot to this mom.
I came home and promptly displayed the note, where it has been until recently, when I decided to write a blog post about my kids’ writing. I took it down to take a picture. That picture is all I have left. I can’t find the note anywhere. I’ve searched in every stack of papers all over the house—and there are many. I’m afraid it’s gone for good.
I have other notes. My kids’ first writings and first thoughts mean a lot to me. I keep notes and schoolwork from my children tucked away because I love the primitive spelling and the crooked writing and the things they felt important enough to put to paper.
Nothing so perfectly captures the innocence or the way a child speaks than the way she first spells her own thoughts. When I read my daughter’s words, I can hear her talking in that same sweet way.
“My brudr likes pink.” I laugh because my daughter must have felt feisty to write that on her schoolwork, knowing how her brother despises the color. While cleaning my kids’ rooms one day, I came across this neatly spelled note that my son wrote to my daughter: “Would you like to watch Star Wars with me? Love, Han Solo.” I loved that he wouldn’t sign his own name.
A sign on my daughter’s door reads “Club Howse.” An old list of months on her walls says, “Januwiwy, Febuwiwy…” I can’t help but chuckle when I read it.
There will come a time when my children outgrow that cuteness, and as much as I appreciate it now, I look forward to reading what comes from the heart when they’re older. I won’t want it riddled with misspellings then.
But for now, I keep a drawer stuffed with scraps of paper that say “I love you” (a mom can never have enough) and schoolwork containing funny sentences, things they write that mark this moment and this time. And I’m going to keep looking for that heart, even though my son offered to make a new one for me.
Mom in the Muddle 
Aw, that’s a very nice read for me this morning. Thanks!! My stack (and it is just that, because I don’t have an organized system yet, after 10 years) for just this school year’s “keepers” is teetering on my desk at around 18″ tall. One day, I’ll sort through and hopefully chisel down to a couple of pages per kid. Tough work though — they’re all masterpieces to Mommy!
That they are! I certainly don’t keep everything. But if it makes me smile, I keep it for a while. I can always throw it out later. My drawer is overflowing right now. Glad you liked it. Thanks!
“Nothing so perfectly captures the innocence or the way a child speaks than the way she first spells her own thoughts.” Except for how a young mother writes about a lost note. Very sweet post (I won’t spoil the mood with the note I found in the car at age 16 1/2 🙂 ).
Yeah, I may remember writing a few myself when I was a teenager. I’ll just live in my happy place for now. ; ) I know my time is coming. I dished it out; I’ll take the servings!
Oh, this is so lovely.
When my oldest was five, I had to leave for work before he got up. I’d always leave him notes on his giant magnadoodle, but the best was the day I got up to find he’d written me a note before he went to bed. Due to the medium used, I wasn’t able to save it, but I do have a picture of it somewhere.
Oh, it’s those moments that just grab you for a minute. They make everything worth it, don’t they? That’s the best.
How sweet. Nothing is so precious as notes from children. My son wrote my daughter a sweet birthday letter at school the other day. I told my daughter to make sure to keep that special note. I keep notes from my kids in a book so I can look at them often. I hope you find your note. Please keep us posted.
Ohh I feel for you! I am sentimental myself, and while a replacement would be nice, it’s just not the same. At least you have the picture. You should print it and display it in place of the real thing, in the event it remains unfound. I haven’t gotten any notes yet as she is just 3, I am sure I will cherish the first one I get for life. Great post. Thank you for sharing.
KP
When she does, put it somewhere and don’t ever move it.
Your post is so sweet. Thanks so much for sharing. Something similar has happened to me before and I could kick myself for losing those precious pieces. Now I have huge plastic crates filled with my kids’ crafts lined up by year in my attic. Nothing fancy, nothing too OCD, just a way for us to organize their special notes, crafts and pieces that hold a place in their mother’s heart.
Thanks! I think I’m headed that way. My drawer will barely open now. So many precious and funny things.
My wife keeps all these little notes as well!
You softies….
One day you’ll be glad she kept them too!
Those are so cute. Dimples loves to read the notes she wrote when she was younger. At 9, she only writes me notes now when they force her to at school. Cue big sigh…
Yeah, my 9-year-old never writes me notes anymore. It’s a big disappointment, isn’t it? Why did I think that would go on forever? All the more reason to find that note he wrote me in kindergarten.
So, it’s not just her? I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or sadder!
You are right. Moms never get enough of it.
And you need to swing over to my Green Room and leave a link to your blog…
Red.
Woah..!!!, exceedingly well written emotional content. i was really touched. 🙂
Wow, well written. Very powerful. I really hope you find the heart shaped note.
Thank you! Still not yet, but I haven’t given up. Hopefully one day. Thanks for stopping by!