Falling Down, November 2004

  • Balloon in hand, my 4-year-old
    twirled across the kitchen floor,
    singing nonsense words
    in her own key.
    "It's my gift!" she declared
    to the world at large, which
    was really only me,
    sitting at the table. Enough
    twirling, and she lost
    her balance, tumbling
    to the floor in a theatrical
    slapstick of elbows and knees.

    She lay on her back
    for a few seconds,
    staring
    at the textured ceiling
    with the mysterious
    spaghetti sauce stain.
    Suddenly she
    began
    flapping her arms and legs
    there on the floor, as if to swish
    the imaginary snow
    into a snow angel.

    "Falling down is also a gift!" says she.

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February 21, 2008

oh, yes, she did

Conversation on the Sofa, this Morning

(Mostly Whispered, Thanks to the Strep Bug That Will Not Go Lightly)

Frankie: Whatcha writin' ?

Me: My to-do list. I have a busy day. I don't want to forget anything.

Frankie: That's a lot of stuff!

Me: Mm-hmm.

Frankie: Don't forget to write down, "Play with your kids!"

I know! Just plop that kid into any Disney movie, and she'd fit right into any family-issues storyline of the past 30 years or so.

I, too, cringe a bit over sappy sentimentality (even when I indulge in it myself on occasion). I, too, am suspicious of uncomplicated, often preachy, Readers-Digest-style life lessons (even though I grew up on Reader's Digest, and I think I turned out just fine).

But, sometimes, life just is what it is.

(Writing this down was not on my to-do list today.)

Posted at 07:22 AM |

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Comments

sarah

Funny Frankie!

Last time I saw her she was just a little baby! She sounds so grown up now!

Posted by: sarah | February 21, 2008 at 11:51 AM

Kyla

Frankie is awesome.

Posted by: Kyla | February 23, 2008 at 10:13 AM

Bobby

Just when I get wound up over liver disease, or Sharon's deteriorating health, and I feel like I am slipping into the abyss, one or the other of your kids snaps me out of it, and reminds me the true meaning of this life.

Posted by: Bobby | February 25, 2008 at 12:42 AM

Liz

I love that Frankie!

Posted by: Liz | February 25, 2008 at 10:56 AM

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