Wednesday 6 November 2013

Let me introduce you to ...

My granddaughter. You know of the boys - but I rarely write about her. She lives closer; I see her regularly, so the world doesn't stop for her visits.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't know of her wonderfulness.

She's three. And I think this episode will tell you all you need to know:

My daughter and I were driving (I forget where) and the little one wanted to get out to play. No said my daughter, explaining - with extreme patience and clarity - that it was raining, and we had other things we needed to do.

The child asked again, and again. And my daughter explained, explained - there was no question of her changing her mind, so this wasn't a child carrying on in the hope of getting Mum to let her out to play anyway. Rather, she wasn't actually listening - explanations, for her, are not the point. She wanted to get out, discover the rain for herself.

I flashed back to her mother, as a little girl. To my explanations, to the endless questions, to the not listening. To her overwhelming need to explore the world for herself, to make her own mistakes. She needed the rain on her face, not on the windows.

Like daughter, like granddaughter.

She stands up to face the world with the clear expectation it will welcome her. Luck girl: she has a family to cheer her on, and pick her up if the world lets her down.



11 comments:

  1. I don't think I did know you have a granddaughter. Three is a wonderful age,when they want to know everything and as you say rain means nothing to them. I love to go out and splash in puddles it makes me young again.

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    1. Oh yes - muddy puddles are made for children!!

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  2. What a lovely reflection, Jo! As you know, I don't have grandchildren, but it must be special to see these character traits continuing through the generations. I wonder what you were like as a child? Splashing in the puddles, kicking through the leaves, experiencing sensations and life at first hand...going hiking in Nepal, climbing down rocks in Australia...yes, I can imagine you did the same

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    1. I did wonder, Val, as I wrote this, if I was also a non-listener when I was small. My mother died years ago, so I can't ask her; shame.

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  3. Three year olds are quite enchanting - we have been enjoying the 3s of two little grandsons this year. Your little granddaughter sounds gorgeous, and I hope she did get to play and run in the rain, jumping in puddles, and having a lovely time.

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  4. Lovely! It must be great to be geographically close to your granddaughter. We have 2, but don't see them as much as we'd like. Multi-generation outings are just great, aren't they?

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    1. I do know how lucky I am, seeing so much of her. She is a little star!

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  5. She sounds lovely. I hope the sun came out for you all ;-)

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  6. What a lovely story. Three-year-old children are such a delight. I wish we could always keep them feeling as safe and secure as they do at that age.

    When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me a pair of red rubber boots and a plastic umbrella. I could hardly wait for it to rain, so I could put on those boots, grab the umbrella, and take a walk in the rain. I'll bet your granddaughter would love that, too. I HATE umbrellas now, and never carry one, (I wear a silly-looking rain hat, instead) but there's something magical about walking under an umbrella as a child.

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  7. Your granddaughter sounds like she has lots of spunk! I just became a grandmother for the first time this summer, and am really looking forward to getting to know this new little person in my life.

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