Friday, June 11, 2010

Treasures we find deep under our beds...


Earlier this week I told my oldest son that he needed to clean his room - something I say at least four times a day to any one of my three children who seem to be having too much fun before their jobs are done. So I was surprised to find my typical two-minute speed cleaner sitting on his floor sorting through old schoolwork he'd collected in his under-the-bed drawers. I tried not to comment on how it looked like he had taken a fan and set it in front of a pile of papers. Instead I glanced at the papers littering the floor, one in particular catching my eye...

As I read the words to the poem/short essay he'd written about what he'd put in a magic box, it took me to a perfect world. It opened a tiny hole into his mind; it held a magnifying glass to his soul. It showed me in beautiful words from a then fifth grader what is really important to him - something he'd never even remotely communicated to me. It reminded me what should be important to me.

Now before you gag and run for the bathroom, let me implore you that I refuse to be one of those mothers who believes her kids are really heavenly beings with tilted halos, or that everything they touch shimmers like a sequin. (splash cold water in face) Richard Paul Evans was brilliant when he once wrote, "It is one thing to take joy in a child's achievements and quite another to aggrandize ourselves through them. It is emotional incest to live vicariously through a child's success."

Be assured my friends, while I'm tap dancing with joy, it is just that. A very happy place to be. So with that in mind, I share with you his essay.

6 comments:

Kim said...

I love it Leeann! He is ahead of the game!

Soccer Mom said...

That is totally AWESOME! We saw your mom and dad a few weeks ago. Your mom took us on our own personal tour of some of the buildings at Martin's Cove! It was GREAT!

Leeann said...

Hey Shanelle - my mom emailed me and told me she had been able to see you guys! She was so excited - how fun!

Michelle said...

Wow - talk about ANOTHER proud parent moment for you. What a great kid you have there!

Trisha said...

That is beautiful. What a neat kid :)

Anonymous said...

it is absolutely precious and it cleans our adult's soul from all the dust we have accumulated over the years...