“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
e.e. cummings
Fig is a big girl for her age. When she was first measured after her birth, she was off the chart for length, and that has continued to this day. She’s big and she’s bold. Sometimes when she comes in for a kiss, she approaches with such force that I fear for my lips. It’s understandable, then, that Pip likes to keep a bit of distance between herself and Fig. In Pip’s eyes, Fig is still just too unpredictable. Her actions cannot be trusted.
One sunny day we were outside in the back yard, and the girls were sitting in their mini-lawn-chairs. Pip moved her lawn chair to a new location, and Fig picked up her lawn chair, followed Pip and plopped it down beside her. “Hi Pip,” Fig said proudly. Pip grunted a bit, picked up her lawn chair, and moved it far away from Fig. Once again, Fig and her lawn chair followed Big Sister. This went on three or four times before I intervened.
“Pip, that’s not a very nice thing you’re doing. Fig just wants to sit beside you. How would you feel if you came to sit beside me, and I picked up my chair and moved it away from you?”
“Oh Mama,” Pip sighed, “sometimes I just forget to be wonderful.” I had to pause for a second. I love it when my kids hit me with something unexpected.
“You know what Pip? Sometimes I forget to be wonderful too.”
Don’t we all?