Lipstick Kisses and Butterfly Wishes
My granddaughter is 4, going on 5. She stayed for her weekly sleepover and after her bath she thought she should make cards for her friends.
Going to her room, she picked up her box of markers, stickers, and an old assorted box of Christmas cards I had given her to craft with. Carefully balancing her tools, she knelt down onto the hardwood floor in my living room. The cards were taken out of the box and all laid out on the floor, the markers were grouped together with her stickers beside them
I watched her, amused at her intensity. She picked up each card and carefully looked it over, placing them in 2 different piles. I asked her why she had put them into 2 groups. Without missing a beat she told me "One pile is going to be for my friends, and the other pile is for my crafts". After compiling her friends cards together, she opened up the first one and began to draw things she thought were beautiful and special to her, such as butterflies, rainbows, flowers and hearts.
Then she came and asked me how to write her friends names. I wrote her list of friends on a scrap piece of paper and gave it to her. Smiling, she kneeled on the floor, comfortable in the way only a child can. Each card had her name written on it with all of her special pictures, drawn with loving care. Each envelope had assorted stickers placed in particular spots of interest. She picked up just the right colour of marker and wrote her friends names on their own individually marked envelope. "There" She said excitedly, "All of my friends have special stickers and pictures on their card and envelope especially for them"!
Cocking her head to one side, she stood up and asked if she could wear some of my lipstick, which is a usual request for her. I took a tube out and handed it to her and watched her artfully apply it without the aid of a mirror. She was a pro. Flashing me her brilliant smile she again knelt down on the floor.
I assumed she was going to clean up her mess, but I was wrong. She picked up each envelope and placed it to her mouth, kissing it. She held each one back to look at them and smiled. "Now all my friends have a kiss from me too"! Jumping up, she carefully placed her miniature mastererpieces into her backpack.
She was singing as she cleaned up her assortment of markers and stickers, a song about a ladybug. Skipping and still singing, she declared she was ready to leave.
While driving my granddaughter to school, she was chatting away with childish
enthusiasm and I wished I could catch it! She said "Grandma, do you know why I am giving my friends these cards"? I looked at her through my rear view mirror and I could see a sincere face staring back. "Because you love them" I said, already knowing the answer. "Of course grandma" she said "But that's not why I made them each a card" She said in matter of fact tone. I looked at her again and she was looking at me with an intense expression on her little face. "I made them because I want my friends to know I appreciate them". She began naming off her 5 friends names and explained how each one likes different things so that is why each envelope had their name on it with pictures and stickers decorating it with all the things each friend loves. "And the kiss on the envelope shows them I love them. The card inside has pictures of what I love grandma and my name on it so they can appreciate me". I was completely speechless. This little 4 year old child managed to express to her friends her love and appreciation of them as well as show them how to appreciate her at the same time. Adults could learn a thing or two from this ideal!
After driving this enthusiastic little diva to school, she jumped out of the car excited to deliver her lovely letters of love. Spotting her first little friend, she waved and called out her name while waving her card over her head. Her little friend ran over to my granddaughter and hugged her. Squealing
with delight, the little friend admired the envelope, pointing out all of her favourite things, totally delighted. Together, they found the next friend, giggling and admiring each other's envelopes.
I watched these 6 little girls, all different sizes, colouring and personalities holding hands and jumping up and down. They were bonded together by more than each other's hands, they were bonded together in the knowledge that yes, they were loved, but also appreciated for who they were to each other and for being individual.
That, my friends is a beautiful thing! ♡
Going to her room, she picked up her box of markers, stickers, and an old assorted box of Christmas cards I had given her to craft with. Carefully balancing her tools, she knelt down onto the hardwood floor in my living room. The cards were taken out of the box and all laid out on the floor, the markers were grouped together with her stickers beside them
I watched her, amused at her intensity. She picked up each card and carefully looked it over, placing them in 2 different piles. I asked her why she had put them into 2 groups. Without missing a beat she told me "One pile is going to be for my friends, and the other pile is for my crafts". After compiling her friends cards together, she opened up the first one and began to draw things she thought were beautiful and special to her, such as butterflies, rainbows, flowers and hearts.
Then she came and asked me how to write her friends names. I wrote her list of friends on a scrap piece of paper and gave it to her. Smiling, she kneeled on the floor, comfortable in the way only a child can. Each card had her name written on it with all of her special pictures, drawn with loving care. Each envelope had assorted stickers placed in particular spots of interest. She picked up just the right colour of marker and wrote her friends names on their own individually marked envelope. "There" She said excitedly, "All of my friends have special stickers and pictures on their card and envelope especially for them"!
Cocking her head to one side, she stood up and asked if she could wear some of my lipstick, which is a usual request for her. I took a tube out and handed it to her and watched her artfully apply it without the aid of a mirror. She was a pro. Flashing me her brilliant smile she again knelt down on the floor.
I assumed she was going to clean up her mess, but I was wrong. She picked up each envelope and placed it to her mouth, kissing it. She held each one back to look at them and smiled. "Now all my friends have a kiss from me too"! Jumping up, she carefully placed her miniature mastererpieces into her backpack.
She was singing as she cleaned up her assortment of markers and stickers, a song about a ladybug. Skipping and still singing, she declared she was ready to leave.
While driving my granddaughter to school, she was chatting away with childish
enthusiasm and I wished I could catch it! She said "Grandma, do you know why I am giving my friends these cards"? I looked at her through my rear view mirror and I could see a sincere face staring back. "Because you love them" I said, already knowing the answer. "Of course grandma" she said "But that's not why I made them each a card" She said in matter of fact tone. I looked at her again and she was looking at me with an intense expression on her little face. "I made them because I want my friends to know I appreciate them". She began naming off her 5 friends names and explained how each one likes different things so that is why each envelope had their name on it with pictures and stickers decorating it with all the things each friend loves. "And the kiss on the envelope shows them I love them. The card inside has pictures of what I love grandma and my name on it so they can appreciate me". I was completely speechless. This little 4 year old child managed to express to her friends her love and appreciation of them as well as show them how to appreciate her at the same time. Adults could learn a thing or two from this ideal!
After driving this enthusiastic little diva to school, she jumped out of the car excited to deliver her lovely letters of love. Spotting her first little friend, she waved and called out her name while waving her card over her head. Her little friend ran over to my granddaughter and hugged her. Squealing
with delight, the little friend admired the envelope, pointing out all of her favourite things, totally delighted. Together, they found the next friend, giggling and admiring each other's envelopes.
I watched these 6 little girls, all different sizes, colouring and personalities holding hands and jumping up and down. They were bonded together by more than each other's hands, they were bonded together in the knowledge that yes, they were loved, but also appreciated for who they were to each other and for being individual.
That, my friends is a beautiful thing! ♡
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