Emma: [walks up to me as I'm wiping down the dining room table, because yes, I do that sometimes] Has you seen me before?
Me: Um…yes, you’re my daughter.
Emma: [solemnly shakes her head]
Me: Hmm…well, you do look different. What’s that on your head?
Emma: [Fingers the edges of the blue flowered beanbag on her head] My hair!
Me: I see. Blue hair with flowers in it. Very pretty. What’s your name?
Emma: Umm…Dala!
Me: What a pretty name! Where are you from Dala?
Emma: Mexico.
Me: [trying not to grin too big] Mexico, eh? What’s it like there?
Emma: It’s got the sharp things. These liiiiittle sharp things. Cactus.
Me: Is that why you came here? To get away from the cactus?
Emma: Umm…yeah. And Mexico, it’s just…gone!
Me: Gone! What happened?
Emma: It got vacuumed up. [stretches her arms out wide] By a great big vacuum!
Me: Wow! How did that happen?
Emma: It got stolen! By ninjas! And I was sucked up in a great big vacuum and then I was all gone!
Me: Then how did you get here?
Emma: From far, far, far, far, far away! [gesticulating wildly]
Me: Well, welcome to Canada, Dala.
Emma: I have to go. I have to go find Mexico.
I have the best job ever.
It’s a struggle though, not to suggest elaborations on her stories, to just let her imagination roam free. Neil and I have started making up stories with her before she goes to bed each night. We read books during the day, being a household of bibliophiles like we are, but just before bed we tickle her imagination. We pause at times in our story and let her supply the dialogue or a new plot twist. She giggles and guffaws over our concocted tales and I love how every night she goes to bed smiling.
And today as I listened to her create a wild story out of thin air, I could hardly contain my joy. How blessed parents are, to be able to see the effects of their hard work and nurturing come so quickly to fruition. Whether my influence on my children is bad or good in a given moment, it isn’t long before I see a change in them. Harsh words often lead to attention seeking. Gentle words and effusive praise yield sweetness and an eagerness to please. Not without exception, of course, but so often our children teach us the worth of ourselves.
When Neil returns home in the evenings, the girls leap up at the first sound of the door opening. They drop their toys and run like mad till they are in his arms, hugging, kissing, babbling away about whatever is on their mind. The long hours, the worrying, the messes, are such small things in the face of that kind of love.
Recently I’ve had cause to examine myself afresh, attempting to confront my need for approval. What my darling girls are teaching me is that theirs is ever so much more than enough. I see the glow of it in their eyes. In the way they run and leap into my arms. The way they follow me about, wanting to be near me, interacting with and learning from me.
What is the approval of the world at large when compared with that?
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21 Comments
What a creative little girl. What an imagination!
So true that we really don’t need the world’s approval if we’re doing what we know we should and working on the things that we haven’t got right yet. Wonderful that our children help us to feel that every day!
Excellent point!
Good luck with finding Mexico ;)
Shanna´s last blog post..Now Why Didn’t I Think of That?
I love my kids’ wild imaginations too. So much fun!
What great perspective. Thanks for the reminder: “harsh words lead to attention seeking. . .gentle words yield sweetness. . .”
Do you have a puzzle map? Our vacuum has sucked up many states and countries ;-)
pam´s last blog post..seven signs your son is turning teenward
Oooh, I hope she finds Mexico! It would be a shame to have it swallowed by a monstrous vacuum!
Kids just rock.
Annette´s last blog post..Feelin’ Like Christmas
That is so awesome! I love to hear about parents creating an environment for imagination to grow! The opposite is so sad!
Hey, If she finds Mexico, could you then ask her to come over here and find my gingerbread man cookie cutters? That’d be great!
In a word . . . NOTHING! :)
LOVE the Emma story! Thanks for sharing that sweet little moment with us! :)
Here’s a big, hearty AMEN! That’s one adorable story. Kudos to you for encouraging your children’s imagination.
Hmm…sounds like your little one may have inherited her mama’s amazing storytelling abilities!
we do have the best job in the world. and you are blessed, ingrained with an extra gift–the vision to see, clearly, that we have the best job in the world. that this much love is ohsomuchmore than enough. i lose sight of that so quickly.
thanks for the reminder.
nic´s last blog post..diversionary tactics
Cute! We used to have to do a lot of long road trips when my oldest was little and he would spend hours making up stories about the people in the cars around us. Loved it.
Melanie J´s last blog post..Aw, nuts.
LOL
I have seen Mexico, but not very much of it and a long time ago. I’ll take a peek next time I’m in the general vicinity so see if the vacuum spit it out again.
Love love LOVE it. She’s obviously inherited some of your creative genius.
so you’re sayin’ you don’t need my approval anymore? well that’s just great. i wAS going to approve this. but now, i’m not so sure.
naw, i still do.
I love it when they take the pieces you give them and make their own puzzle out of it (which may or may not be anything like what you would make of said pieces). I’m glad you encourage her to express herself. I think that’s one of the best things we can do for our kids (not necessarily always the best for our sanity… )
Goosebumps! And you are so right, of course! In the end, it’s our children who will (or will not) be surrounding our bed when we die, so what they think of us is really what matters most (and our spouse and H.F.)
Heidi Ashworth´s last blog post..Quit With The Thumb Screws–I’m Confessing, Already!!
That’s the best and only external approval you need. :) What a great story!
Lovely!
very cute story and very good insight. loved it.
So so true hon. i hope she found Mexico. That was too funny.
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