This post was written by Jo Anne. Someone get that girl a password so she can keep writing blog posts like this one!
Yesterday, I had a great time at my godson Auggie’s baseball game. It was so cool to be outside in the late afternoon. Great people watching – all of the very serious 10-year-olds and their parents rooting for them.
But, some of my favorite moments were hanging out with six-year-old Zoe, who I am just so inspired by right now. I loved watching her entertain herself, investigating the underside of a table, skipping off to the playground. At one point, she picked a little flower – one of those little plants made of little grains that fall apart when you rub them between your fingers. She was telling me about how she and her best friend Piper will pretend that its wheat and play granary. Really? They play GRANARY? And, I was just struck by the simplicity of being six. The lovely openness and beauty with which she approaches the world. I want to regain some of that loveliness. As most of us do, I let it get chased out of me – but I want to rediscover my six-year-old. I think she’s probably pretty cool.
I’m not a poet, but felt inspired by this baby goddess.
For my goddaughter, THE PRINCESS ZOE
Sweet Princess
You amaze me with your
Spirit
Laugh
WonderFULL of WONDER
I love how you wonder at nature
At dogs
At sticks
At flowers
At peopleSo much spirit
So much spunk
For someone so small
You INSPIRE me with
Your BIG heart and BIG selfYour laugh will always make me smile
Just like your mama, my sister
It makes my heart bigger
And when you hug me
I know I would travel to the ends of the earth for you
I am so blessed to know someone as cool as you
Oh my God, I left out the best part of the story! Those of you who know Zoe will understand that this exemplifies her contradictions, embodying that sweet and maybe sometimes not-so-sweet, which somehow only makes her human.
As she’s telling me about how she and Piper play granary, how one of them holds the flower in their hands, rubbing it between their hands and letting the grains flow down to the other girl’s hands cupped below, and I’m thinking how sweet and feminine this game is, Zoe lays this on me –
“Usually her hands are below and I’m the one with the flower…because I like to crush things and hurt them.”
hmmmm….yep, that’s my girl.
I love you, Aunt Jo Anne! Thank you for the poem and you rock for saying I’m a princess. I am. Here is my poem for you:
You’re nice and pretty
And you wouldn’t hurt a fly
I love you with my heart
You are strong and smart and sweet
I love everything you do
And you are a great actor
Oh, one more thing -
Auggie loves you too
That wonder came back to me when I was gardening. It brought back SO much to me… memories, joy, laughter. I’m sure my neighbors thought I was a little crazy wandering around my deck planting and laughing. Yes, I’m a nerd.
You are too a poet, Jo. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you so much Jojo…