First solo walk to school

This actually happened Monday, but things were too squirrelly to note it then. However I cannot let this event go unmarked.

Lately she’s been walking to school with her next door neighbour and friend C. Which has been great – school is not far, there’s a crossing guard and C. is older by a couple of years.

And I always figured it was Mallory that was too timid to want to make such a foray into the world alone.

But on Monday, C’s family hadn’t come back from their spring break vacation and Mallory was faced with having to go to school (worse – day care) accompanied by her dad.

She was not at all happy about this. She insisted she would and could walk by herself. It took a lot of re-thinking and a couple of deep breaths on my part, a quick non-verbal parental conference with Irene and the matter was decided.

Off she went. Later, when I realized there would be no “Where is your daughter” call from the school’s “Safe arrival” line, I realized that I had once again underestimated my child and the anxiety was all my own.