The Magic Baba

For Little Butterfly, her "Baba" is magic. The Magic Baba can take out any pesky splinter, fix any broken beloved toy, encourages her to run as fast as her legs can carry her, and has strong shoulders that are like two mountains to carry her when she tires. When he gets home after an exhausting day at work, he transforms into a big burly bear, and carries her around the house growling and reminding her to, "chokad dhela!" I can't explain how he musters this energy, it must be magic.

In truth, as a mama, my favorite thing he does is simply sit next to her, sometimes for an hour straight, and sees her through storms only the biggest toddler feelings could create. Which is not easy, and can sometimes frustrate even this uncommonly patient middle school teacher (ahem). So when I see Little Butterfly becoming a strong, funny, imaginative, emotionally intelligent child, I know how much it has to do with The Magic Baba.