Yesterday afternoon I took the kids to school. Usually, when we arrive I say the same thing I always do to Travis "Have fun, learn lots" and he bolts for his entrance. Hilary, because she is in pre-school only goes in the afternoon, and only every second day.
I carry Hilary to the closest entrance. Its not that she can't, or won't, walk on her own, its for a practical reason. I usually run late, and carrying her I can easily strip off her boots before setting her down. Its quicker and we get on our way more expediently.
But, I enjoy having her in my arms, I can't deny. Today as we arrived, Travis was already half way down the length of the school when I turned and look back, Hilary holding on tight. The entire horizon was tinged in pink, deepening to mauve and blue. "Look at the sky" I told her.
Hilary looked up and said "Oh, its pink" and then "There's purple!" "The colours change." She then turned back to me, looking into my eyes and exclaimed "Dad, we have the prettiest skies here." I looked back at the southern horizon, ringed with this amazing gradient of light and colour, not missing the sun at all, and answered "We do indeed little girl, we do indeed."
As we turned and walked into the school I thought about my daughter's eyes, thankful that they see the world much the same way that I do. Grateful that I have two little naturalists, who marvel in our world, for children.
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6 responses
Thanks for making me cry first thing in the morning. 😛
Your children’s ability to see the beauty in nature is in no small part due to the way they have been brought up by you and Leah. If you show your children the tiny flowers, tell them about butterfly wings and give them an understanding – and thus respect – for Mother Nature, you can’t go wrong!
Besides that – my eyes teared up a bit as well… only I read this at the end of the day!
Lovely post, I occasionally have a similar excahnge with my two year old daughter who has just begun to notice ‘big clouds’ helped on by a little horizontal summer skywatching.
Thanks for sharing…she’s such a precious girl!! 🙂
Wonderful story, clare. Once she has seen the sky she’ll never stop looking. That’s the hope for the future.
Thanks all, didn’t mean to make anyone cry. But tears are good, right?