The Unusual Smile

In 2017 my beautiful daughter Matilda was born with a bilateral cleft lip.

This story was my attempt at explaining to her big sister Meghan that the new baby would still be beautiful.

Hopefully Matilda will read it when she is older.

I hope you like it too.

The Unusual Smile

Our story begins in a small little house

Halfway up a steep hill

It is the story of a lovely family

So listen closely if you will

There were two small rooms at the bottom of the stairs

And two on the second floor

The people that lived there were happy enough

Not needing anything more

There was a Mum and a Dad and a little girl

So really nothing strange

In a very nice and pleasant way

Their lives were about to change

The lady had shoulder length wavy hair

And a big and swollen tummy,

Inside her was a quickly growing baby,

Who would eventually call her Mummy

The baby inside her was different

In a special and intricate way

What this baby would look like

At this point no-one could say

They called their daughter down the stairs

She bounded down in a hurry

They had something important to tell her

But didn’t want her to worry

They sat her down on the sofa

It was old and let out a creak

Daddy smiled at her warmly

Sat next to her and started to speak

“You will be a big sister soon

So you need to carefully prepare,

You will have the important job

Of providing extra special care.”

“Sometimes things can happen

As a baby starts to grow

Our baby has developed in a different way

And it’s important that you know”

The little girl listened carefully

“Will the baby be in pain?”

“There’s nothing to worry about sweetheart,

I’ll try my best to explain”

Daddy repeated the doctor’s words

“She called it a bilateral cleft,

There will be a split on the right of the mouth

And another one just on the left”

“It might look a little different

But it won’t be that way forever

The baby will have an operation

And the doctors are ever so clever”

The little girl thought very carefully

About babies, daddies and mothers

She didn’t mind if the new baby

Was different to all of the others

Time went by in a heartbeat

The little girl wanted to cheer

When the day finally arrived

That the baby would appear.

She ran into the hospital

To lay eyes on her baby sister

As soon as she saw her, her eyes lit up

She hugged her and gently kissed her.

She had a good look at her tiny little face

And with her fingertips

She traced the line of her sweet little nose

And the shape of her wonderful lips.

There was a lovely soft lip in the middle

With a gap on either side

Her smile was unique and beautiful

It was happy, broad and wide

Over time she played with her sister

She would hold her tiny hand

Sometimes she would worry

That people wouldn’t understand

If people stared a little too long

At her mouth, her lips and nose

She would glare back at them as if to say

“She is as beautiful as a rose!”

Her smile gave her face character

It was like a charming pirate’s smile

She thought the smile the most fabulous

For many a country mile!

But the day finally reared its head

When she would have her operation

The little girl wasn’t sure about this

And approached with reservation.

“What if she comes out different?” She thought

“She might look very strange!

I already love her gorgeous face!

I don’t want her to change!”

Her Mum and Dad reassured her

That it was definitely for the best

“She’s a beautiful little girl” they said

“There’s no doubt that we’re blessed”

As they took her to the hospital

The little girl tried not to cry

She didn’t want the doctors to hurt her

She waved and said goodbye

She sat at home and worried

She waited and waited and waited

She knew that her sister was in safe hands

As the surgical team operated.

When she finally came out of surgery

She was so pleased to see her sister

She loved this baby so very much

It was amazing how much she had missed her!

The splits in her mouth were no longer there

But her eyes still sparkled with light

Her baby sister looked wonderful

Her new smile glowed so bright

Her mouth had already been perfect

What a beautiful stunning girl

She was different but lovely with her cheeky new grin

And was ready to take on the world

The little girl squeezed her sister

She held her tiny hand

Two little girls together

The loveliest in the land.