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in issue eleven
Scintillations
Playing Boggle
Seduction in the Snow
Curious Rain
The Opposite of Peas
Playing in the Vertical World
Bring on Broadway
(Parents)
Snorkeling Past Fear
You Won't Get Far
In Those Shoes
Legos
Freedom From Five Feet
Chasing Shadows
Mozzarella No More!
Letters FROM
My Younger Self
Moody Girl
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artwork
Dandelion, Elm, &
Firefly Faeries
Dog Wearing A Cone
Apples
Sun Petals &
Sprawling Daisy
Poppy Field
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Making Friends
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Issue
12: Synchronicity
Issue 13: Danger
Issue 14: Home
Issue 15: Transitions
Waking to the unmistakable sound of Legos being dumped out of their containers onto the wood floor, I rolled over and stared at the alarm clock trying hard to focus on of the time. The impersonal display of the clock reads 6:14. I bumble out of bed, shuffling my bare feet across the hall to my son’s room. “Hey kiddo, don’t you think it’s a bit early for all this noise?”
“Do you want to play with me mama?” my nine-year-old son, Paul asked, looking at me with a half smile. His huge eyes seemed to convey his thoughts… ‘you look like you need to play mama’.
“The Lego blocks are a quiet toy once you get them all out, so we won’t wake daddy.”
I agree to play as soon as I make some coffee. I trudge downstairs to put it on, only to find my son has already made my coffee for me. Sitting in front of the maker of hot caffeine joy is my favorite cup, and a small note that reads “Surprise!” in Paul’s forced handwriting.
Returning upstairs I find Paul waiting for me so we can begin construction.
“Thank
you for the coffee, son.”
“Oh that’s okay mama. I wanted to make sure you had time to play with me.”
“What are we going to build this morning Paul?”
Sitting on the floor with the Lego pile between us, I sip my coffee and wait for him to tell me what to build, but he just looks at me for a long time and then says very carefully
“Mom, I don’t need to tell you what to build. These are not just Legos. They are a rainbow you can make into anything you can imagine!”
Paul reaches behind his back and brings forth Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. “I will read to you while you make something, and if you need my help building I will help you mama.”
“Okay Paul,” I manage to say as tears lightly caress my cheek “You read to me a bit and I will let you know when I need some help.”
As Paul reads to me, trying hard not to stumble on unfamiliar words, I began to build the rainbow castle for the Lego people to have a great party in. By ten ’o clock, the book had been set aside and we were both working on Palace Rainbow, the largest Lego building we had ever constructed. Finally it was complete! The Lego people gathered for their grand feast as Paul and I went down to cook pancakes for a late breakfast. Preparing breakfast gives me time to realize that my son really does understand the power of self-expression and importance of making time to play. At a time when daily worries and stress can wear away the ability to remember this very important lesson, I like thinking that he took the time to remind me. Paul is a very wise and wonderful child and I am very lucky to be his mama.
“It is good to hear you laughing hon.” My hubby says when he walks into the pancake batter covered kitchen. I just look at Paul and we start to giggle.
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