I was in a (new) beauty salon for a rare visit yesterday and enjoyed observing the life around me while my new best friend worked her magic. Next to me was a mom having some seriously crazy work done when her husband brought her 9 year old daughter by. The young lady plays soccer and mom told her about her team getting to be ball girls for a soccer game at UC Berkeley. The same UC Berkeley where Alex Morgan of recent Olympics fame played four years.
What a neat opportunity for this girl and her team, right? But what I appreciated was the tie in to current events, the encouraging news that girls do go on to be BIG news.
Growing up in a small town we did get the big news…watching NASA launch a shuttle into space, presidential elections, Super Bowls… but there was no engagement. What happened outside of our little town seemed like fiction, or stories of far away places, unattainable, unreachable. We certainly weren’t presented with the relationship between the faces on the news and experiences in our own lives.
Anyway, I know, I lived a sheltered life in a small town. I’m glad that I can give a little more broader view of life to my children.
And now to show you my head is a little skewed: I got a promo email for a children’s product and the intro amused me enough to want to share with you: Unlike us grown-ups, kids are always looking for confirmation that the world does in fact revolve around them. Too bad they’re constantly being interrupted, have zero phone privileges and can barely reach the hand towel, much less a doorknob.
Sad.
Um, I’m still a little kid wanting that confirmation and while I’m at work…my phone privileges are SERIOUSLY restricted. SAD. The ad went on to reference Papa Smurf and I felt it was written just for me. SIGH. Also there is that internal struggle I have as a mother: do I WANT my kids thinking they are the center of the universe? Do I need that? But then, do they need me shattering their world view?
Yeah.
Finally, each morning as I drive into work (and each evening, to be honest) I’m listening to the lyrics of songs, looking for inspiration, amusement…stuff to share here. Today, may I present an oldie but goody :
Jason Mraz brings us these gorgeous words and images:
I’m dreaming of sleeping next to you
I’m feeling like a lost little boy in a brand new town
I’m counting my sheep and
each one that passes is another dream to ashes and they all fall down.
As I lay me down tonight,
I close my eyes and what a beautiful sight
I’m sleeping to dream about you
I’m so tired of having to live without you
But I don’t mind
I’m sleeping to dream about you and I’m so tired
I found myself in the riches your eyes, your lips, your hair
Well you were everywhere
But I woke up in the ditches. I hit the light and I thought you might be here
but you were nowhere. You were nowhere at home.
As I lay me back to sleep
Lord I pray that I can keep
Sleeping to dream about you.
You’re welcome.
We never had an opportunit to do or see anything exciting when I was growing up. I never had a birtday party, or the family never went on a vacation, ever. My biggest thrill was going to Disneyland in CA when I was stationed in Long Beach. I saw it being built on TV on the Walt Disney show back in the 50′s. So to see it in person was awesome.
Coffeypot recently posted..Why God Created Children
I thought it was really cool that the 2012 Gatorade Female Athlete of the year played basketball in the high school my kids will go to. She just graduated this year. I think as we attended more and more games this year and her face started appearing more and more places, the kids did start to realize how unique the experience was. When the basketball coach told the girls at the camp last week how lucky they were to be there with Bre, I was happy the message came from someone other than “mom”!
Okay, so I love me some Jason Mraz.
And a broader worldview never hurt anyone. I have the internal debate about Felix all the time. Staying at home with him, he really IS the center of the world, with no siblings to distract, and I’m not sure it’s doing him any good.
Sigh.
Cameron recently posted..Et In Arcadia Ego
Wait, the world does not revolve around me?!
Seriously?
That advertiser is, sadly, incorrect, I think.
I want my kids knowing that my world revolves around them, but that the world, at large, does not bend for them.
Alas, they’re of an age right now where they can’t tell the difference between their world & the world. Does that make sense?
John recently posted..Where I reflect a bit after my vacation
I never appreciated how fortunate I was regarding “engagement” with historical events, culture, the outside world, etc. I felt active, even at a young age, but also small (if that makes sense). I knew there was more to the world than just me, my family, my house…and I’m glad my parents never let me think otherwise. I think it gave me my drive to explore.
Smedette recently posted..Where I Was: Spain