My name is Sydney Reynolds. When I was little, my mother told me that life was a series of individual unique moments that are connected to form something amazing. And then she also told me that it's easy to forget that when you're busy with the day-to-day struggles of just getting by. But she also said to me that if you one day look back at all of those unique moments you experienced, you'll be able to better see what amazing thing they've truly led to.
Sydney and Olive were both laying in bed together asleep when they heard the sound of a baby crying. Sydney then without even opening her eyes said, "Lauren is crying again? You just changed her." Olive then without opening her eyes said, "Your turn to deal with her." Sydney then said, "No, it's your turn." Then Olive said, "No. You just admitted that I was the one that just changed her. Your turn now." Sydney grumbled as she opened her eyes and got out of bed. Sydney then began to walk out of her bedroom but then tripped on a box, and said, "Ow, ow, ow. Ugg. Oh, why is that box there? Err." Then Sydney walked into a nursery and went over to her baby daughter Lauren who was crying. Sydney then picked Lauren up and said, "There, there now Lauren. Mommy is here. Shhh. It's okay. You're gonna grow up to be a big smart girl one day. So smart you'll remember to never wake me and your mamma up from their sleepy time ever again."
Sydney walked into the apartment through the front door and said, "All-right my favorite ladies. I'm home, and... AHH!" Sydney then saw pieces of grass lined up all over the apartment, as her two year old daughter Lauren was pushing a toy lawnmower around as she said, "Wee!" Sydney then looked at an exhausted Olive who was sitting on the couch, and then said, "Olive, what happened!?" Olive then said, "I don't know Syd, but every time I cleaned up the grass she brought in, somehow she revealed she had more grass in her pockets and threw it all over the place." As little Lauren ran back and forth with the toy lawnmower she said, "I'm mowing the grass mommy! Vroom!" Sydney sighed as she said, "Oh boy."
Early in the morning, Sydney and Olive were both sleeping in bed together, when suddenly their young daughter Lauren ran into the room and jumped on the bed as she said, "It's my birthday! It's my birthday! It's my birthday!" Olive then without opening her eyes said, "Syd, make it stop. Please make it stop!" Sydney then opened her eyes and in a groggy voice said, "Lauren, stop jumping baby." Lauren then sat on the bed and said, "It's my birthday! Time for party and presents!" Sydney then said, "Lauren, it's too early for party and presents." Then an excited looking Lauren said, "But it's my birthday!" Then Sydney said, "Yeah, but not until 12:00. And on birthdays, good little girls let their mommy and mamma sleep until 9:00." Then Lauren said, "But I want party and presents now!" Then Sydney said, "Well if you don't wait for party and presents like a big girl, then you're gonna have to stay three years old." Then Lauren said, "Na uh. That's not how it works." Sydney rolled her eyes and said, "Okay. If you just let mommy and mamma sleep until 9:00, then mamma will make you the biggest pancakes ever." Then Olive remaining still with her eyes closed said, "I didn't agree to that." Then Sydney smiled and said, "So just go back to sleep for awhile. Okay sweety?" Lauren then said, "Okay. Can I sleep with you two?" Sydney sighed and said, "Okay." Then Lauren got under the blankets with Sydney and Olive as she said, "Yay!"
Olive walked Lauren down a hospital hallway into a room where Sydney was lying in a bed. Lauren jumped on the bed and hugged Sydney as she said, "Hey mommy!" Sydney gently hugged Lauren back as she said, "Hey sweety." Lauren then looked at Sydney's face as she said, "Mamma said you weren't feeling good. You feeling better now?" Sydney nodded and made a tiny smile as she said, "Yeah." Lauren then felt Sydney's stomach and said, "So where's the baby that was in your tummy. Where's my new brother or sister?" Sydney and Olive looked at each other with troubled looks on their faces. Sydney then looked at Lauren and said, "Well sweety... mommy had something bad happen to her called a miscarriage." A confused looking Lauren said, "Miscarriage?" Sydney then had tears come from her eyes as she said, "Well sometimes when a mother is expecting to have a new baby, unexpected problems happen and... Oh God, I can't..." Sydney then began to cry, as Olive sat next to Lauren. Lauren then looked at Olive as she said, "What happened mamma? I thought I was going to have a new baby brother or sister." Olive then said, "And we wanted you to have a new brother or sister. But... she died." Lauren suddenly looked shocked as she said, "Died?" Olive nodded and said, "Nobody did anything bad. It just... happened." Lauren looking more shocked now said, "But... how can a baby die before it's born? I..." Sydney then gently touched Lauren's hands as she said, "I know it's hard to understand Lauren. But you remember how I told you my mom, your grandma, is in heaven? Well the new baby is now there with her." Lauren looking more sad now said, "But... I wanted the new baby to be here." Sydney began to cry as she said, "I know sweety. I know." Then Sydney, Olive, and Lauren all hugged and embraced one another as they began to cry together.
Sydney was stepping out of her bedroom quietly wearing just a bath robe in the middle of the night, when she turned her head and saw Lauren standing in her pajamas just several feet from the door. Sydney looking surprised and very nervous now said, "Lauren! What's my little quiet eight year old girl who is usually always asleep at this time doing up in the middle of the night?" Lauren then said, "I got worried. I heard you screaming in you and mamma's bedroom. I wanted to make sure you both were okay?" Sydney looking more nervous now said, "Screaming?" Lauren nodded and said, "Yeah. You kept saying: Ohhhhh. Oh God. Oh God!" Sydney began to sweat as she said, "Um... it was nothing. That was just sleep talking." Lauren then raised an eyebrow as she said, "You and mamma were sleep talking? Because at one point I heard her say: Harder Syd! Drill that into my pussy harder!" Sydney began to wipe sweat off her face as she said, "Well... that was just a silly grown up game me and your mamma were playing." Lauren then said, "At school Stacy told me those are the sounds she hears her parents make when they wanna make a new baby. Are you and mamma gonna have a new baby?" Sydney quickly turned her head and said, "No. We told you, we both can't do that anymore because of complicated reasons." Then a curious Lauren said, "What kind of reasons? How do moms make babies anyway?" Sydney now looking freaked out, called back to her bedroom and said, "Olive!" Then Sydney heard Olive call out, "Oh no Syd. You were the one that couldn't wait to do it before she'd be gone on her sleepover tomorrow. You have the talk with her." Sydney sighed and then said, "Okay Lauren. Better to take a seat on the couch. This is gonna take awhile."
Sydney, Olive, and Lauren were walking down a street together as Olive said, "Okay. I just gotta say: best family trip ever. Southern barbecue tastes so better in the actual south." Sydney smirked as she said, "I'm glad you approve babe." Olive then gave Sydney a quick peck on the cheek and began to hold her hand. Then suddenly an older bearded man walked by the three and said, "Get off the streets you dirty lesbos. We don't need you to bring any of your dirty pride parades to this town." The man then spit on the ground near the three and walked off. Sydney then rolled her eyes as she said, "Okay. What century is that stupid guy's brain still living in?" Lauren then noticed the man sitting down near a cardboard box in an alley and said, "Hold on. Mom, give me your purse." Lauren then grabbed Sydney's purse and ran off with it as Sydney said, "Whoa, Lauren. Wait up!" Lauren then ran over to the bearded man and said, "Hi. You're homeless aren't you?" The man rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. What does it matter to a lesbo kid like you?" Lauren then took out of Sydney's purse several gift cards as she said, "These are gift cards to various grocery stores and restaurants my two moms always carry with them. Then always keep a few on hand in case they ever run into someone hungry who needs them. Here." Lauren then handed the man the gift cards. The man suddenly became silent as he accepted the gift cards. The man then took a deep breath and said, "I... thank you." Lauren then turned around and saw Sydney and Olive standing right behind her. Lauren then said, "Sorry. I know you don't like me talking to strangers but..." Sydney and Olive then both got on their knees as Sydney said, "Lauren... I think you acted more grown up just now than any grown up here today." Sydney and Olive then both hugged Lauren, as a smiling Lauren hugged them back.
It's hard to see how all of the little choices you make day-to-day really change people or the world. Being there to care for your daughter even when she cries all night, may seem insignificant. Showing patience to your little girl when she messes up the living room or jumps on your bed for too long, may appear to have no long lasting value. Being strong in front of your little girl when you experience a major tragedy might seem like something she would forget about as she got older. Being able to be open with your daughter, even when it's really awkward for you might seem to just come across as ridiculous. But then one day you'll realize: showing kindness, patience, strength, and openness consistently to your little girl may be just what she needed to suddenly become an exceptional young woman. And it was on that day, I realized that all of those individual little unique moments of my life... really did work towards something amazing.
THE END