Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Embers to Flames

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. -Confucius

As is constant with any three-year old, your crazed obsessions come and go with fleeting abandon. I've learned to embrace it, and your ability to pick up and love new things with your entire being is my favorite thing about you.

Your constants remain the same, though. Your NaNa, lil' Beagle, plastic horses, Scooby Doo, and Sleeping Beauty all have major real estate in your heart and soul. But the things you obsess over and grind into your daily life come and go at whim. I'm teaching myself to remember each phase as they're introduced to me.



Introducing your newest love and adoration, your Lion King stuffed animals.
We've talked about the Lion King before- how much that movie meant to me as an 8th grader. How to this day, it still reminds me of your Auntie SG. But at the end of August, Daddy took you to see the 3-D theatrical release of the film, a movie you had already seen dozens of times. All lion pride hell broke loose from that point on.

You were redrawn to your existing Lion King books. And, holy Subway infatuation since you learned the kids' meal is all emblazoned with the Lion King logo! You talked your Papa into a plastic set of lions from the fleet supply store, too. You've got skills, I'll give you that! You did a hard sell on your Mama one Saturday morning at WalMart so you could end up with a stuffed Nala. I never give into you in the toy aisle, ever. But something that morning was different. Best $8 I ever spent.

Until I spent another $8 on Simba as your souvenir from my work trip to Miami.
Then your Grandma G. bought you another Simba, the baby version, for Halloween and boom! Your pride is numbered at three now. You four travel in a pack. I love it.

It's hard to not get as excited as you do over life's tiniest pleasures. I always want to support your current desires, even as they recede to embers as your next desire and passion starts to kindle into an entirely new fire. It makes me slow down and appreciate the rest of life away from the obligations and standardization.

Here's to you and your pride.
Just as it was to your little girls.
And your pink kitchen.
Your Beagle-pretending skills.
Or baking cookies.

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