I'm sure that the custodian thought the floor was pretty clean. I'm hoping my daughter wasn't collecting glitter off the floor when she was supposed to be listening to her teacher. Still I couldn't help but be enchanted this afternoon when I picked her up from her second day of first grade at her new school. She walked out of the classroom and said, "Mom, I brought you some treasure." As she opened her hand I expected to see something, and had to blink a few times at her apparently empty hand. Luckily the sunlight glinted off of two tiny particles of shiny-ness, one pink and one blue. "Did you work with glitter today?" I asked. "No, I just found these on the floor for you. Put them somewhere safe so you won't lose them." We agreed to put them in my hard shell glasses case, which I figured would be easier to retrieve them from than any other place, just in case she quizzed me on their whereabouts later. We almost lost one just trying to transfer it to the case. A couple of things fascinate me about this...
First - who would notice a couple of flecks of glitter on the floor AND take the time to collect them AND "keep them safe" AND choose to give them to Mommy as treasure. Just MY kid, that's who. How many beautiful things do you walk right by every day? When you do notice beauty do you find a way to share it with someone? One of my favorite new blogs to follow is Lisa Leonard Online. She is a special needs Mom who publishes a lot of photography and makes beautiful jewelry. A lot of her photos are simply noticing beautiful things and capturing them in a creative frame. I need to step back from my "get it done" attitude and take some time to enjoy the touches of beauty that surround me more often...and then share them somehow.
Second - you may wonder why I played along...why encourage this kind of odd practice. There are several reasons. See my first point, above. I need to stop and enjoy little things, and my daughter sort of forces me to do so. It's a gift. Also, I know that giving "treasure" to people is one way that the child expresses love and affection...She's not real big on hugs, kisses, or mushy speeches. Instead she gives me her treasure. I'll take it. Lastly, by going along with this little scene she stayed calm through a transition (big deal!) and was able to reconnect with a peer who had helped her out earlier in the day. Priceless!
So I encourage you to seize the glitter. Gladly accept it from another's hand or stop and find some of your own. Either way it will bring joy to your heart.
1 comment:
I think that is absolutely beautiful, and I think your response was perfect. Encouraging a child to see the world their own way, and to appreciate their own idea of beauty, is one the the most precious gifts you can give them. There's a book of memoirs I've been reading and it's written by a special needs mother, Robyn Stecher, called "There's Something About Daniel". It's 17 stories that take a look at her life with this child and his view of the world through his complex eyes. Children are often our teachers, ya know? =)
Post a Comment