~A Child and The Claw~
I opened my eyes, and, there they were, all 3 lions, looking at me with their eyes wide open - almost as if to say "hah, and you did not think we were possible"....
It all started last week when we went to see a movie - not realizing I was on my way to learning a life lesson from a child and The Claw.
On the way out of the theater, one of my boys wanted to try one of those games with a big silver claw that you guide, drop, and hope to pull out a toy. You know, The Claw from Toy Story. As he does everytime he sees one, he asked if he could try it. And, as I always do, in my adult know-it-all way, I told him that no one ever wins at those and the animals are purposely stuffed tight so they will not come out. However, this time, since this was his dollar he was spending, I allowed him to try the game, knowing that 'no one ever wins those' - -----He got lucky on his first try! You can imagine the 'see, I told you so mommy', look and words that I had to endure as he pulled that orange, cheap, polyester stuffed, liony looking animal out of the trap door.
Move ahead a few more days - another movie (we had to keep daddy, who had shoulder surgery, away from any bat, ball, golf club, or anything else resembling sports), another, "Mommy, can I try it to win a doll" - bringing more adult know-it-all words of 'no one ever wins those'. But, this time all 4 of my children were armed with their own money in little rumpled plastic bags of pennies, nickels, a few dimes and maybe 1 quarter. So, again, being their own money, I allowed them to try The Claw. Would you believe they won 2 more cheap, polyester stuffed, liony looking, animal things in only 4 trys?!!! Have you ever seen anyone win even once at those things???!!!
Since that time, the kids have been so precious with those lions. I think each doll has had at least 3 owners (inlcuding mom and dad), and they have been placed in many places of honor as if they were trophies. I have found them setting in places all over the house, from the kitchen counter to the computer desk, from the back of the toilet to the head of my bed. I think the kids are really just trying to say "see mom, you were w-r-o-n-g."
But this morning, as I opened my eyes and saw all 3 of those cheap, polyester filled, liony looking animals lined up in a perfect row, just looking right down at me -I had a thought - I did not believe. I had too much adult knowledge, and, not enough childhood magic; I had too many life doesn't work that way experiences, and, not enough childhood why not.
As I laid there and looked at those 3 lions, remembering the childrens' excitement, (and my sheer amazement), I had to wonder how many times I have had too much fear, too much adulty-ish know-it-all, too much it'll never work, and not enough belief in myself, and have, therefore, missed the excitement of winning my own version of a cheap, polyester filled, liony looking trophy........
If only I would learn from a child and The Claw
It all started last week when we went to see a movie - not realizing I was on my way to learning a life lesson from a child and The Claw.
On the way out of the theater, one of my boys wanted to try one of those games with a big silver claw that you guide, drop, and hope to pull out a toy. You know, The Claw from Toy Story. As he does everytime he sees one, he asked if he could try it. And, as I always do, in my adult know-it-all way, I told him that no one ever wins at those and the animals are purposely stuffed tight so they will not come out. However, this time, since this was his dollar he was spending, I allowed him to try the game, knowing that 'no one ever wins those' - -----He got lucky on his first try! You can imagine the 'see, I told you so mommy', look and words that I had to endure as he pulled that orange, cheap, polyester stuffed, liony looking animal out of the trap door.
Move ahead a few more days - another movie (we had to keep daddy, who had shoulder surgery, away from any bat, ball, golf club, or anything else resembling sports), another, "Mommy, can I try it to win a doll" - bringing more adult know-it-all words of 'no one ever wins those'. But, this time all 4 of my children were armed with their own money in little rumpled plastic bags of pennies, nickels, a few dimes and maybe 1 quarter. So, again, being their own money, I allowed them to try The Claw. Would you believe they won 2 more cheap, polyester stuffed, liony looking, animal things in only 4 trys?!!! Have you ever seen anyone win even once at those things???!!!
Since that time, the kids have been so precious with those lions. I think each doll has had at least 3 owners (inlcuding mom and dad), and they have been placed in many places of honor as if they were trophies. I have found them setting in places all over the house, from the kitchen counter to the computer desk, from the back of the toilet to the head of my bed. I think the kids are really just trying to say "see mom, you were w-r-o-n-g."
But this morning, as I opened my eyes and saw all 3 of those cheap, polyester filled, liony looking animals lined up in a perfect row, just looking right down at me -I had a thought - I did not believe. I had too much adult knowledge, and, not enough childhood magic; I had too many life doesn't work that way experiences, and, not enough childhood why not.
As I laid there and looked at those 3 lions, remembering the childrens' excitement, (and my sheer amazement), I had to wonder how many times I have had too much fear, too much adulty-ish know-it-all, too much it'll never work, and not enough belief in myself, and have, therefore, missed the excitement of winning my own version of a cheap, polyester filled, liony looking trophy........
If only I would learn from a child and The Claw
posted by Tina at 8:41 AM
1 Comments:
Next time I go to the carnival, I am taking all of your children with me! They are the one's walking around with the big, huge, lifesized Spongebob and Patrick dolls! Man I can't believe that worked 3 times. Great post!
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