Most Fridays after school,
my son’s friend Laura winds up at our house for snacks and silliness.
They happily bounce from one activity to the next,
raising a ruckus and making a mess wherever they go.
Just like seven-year-old friends are meant to do.
But today, there were problems in Paradise.
He wanted to ride bikes. She didn’t.
She wanted to watch SpongeBob. He didn’t.
So, I started tossing out other ideas.
How about drawing chalk designs on the driveway?
Nope.
Creating a new rock collection?
No way.
Building with blocks in the basement?
Not interested.
What about drawing a new city?
Miracle of all miracles, both of their little faces lit up.
We grabbed a giant pad of paper and markers,
I turned on some music
and the two got to work.
As they colored and talked, I relished listening to
their thoughts about what every city needs:
Roads.
Towers.
Apple trees.
Playgrounds.
Gardens.
People holding balloons.
They were totally engrossed in creating art together,
spilling their imaginations out onto the page.
It was a beautiful thing for this relieved mama to watch.
