Ellie,my Reading Fairy

 

This is Ellie. She is almost two and has already found her creative self. She and sister have a costume box , which they delight in using almost daily. Pretending to be what you think you are is their daily doctrine. Not a bad motto for life.

Ellie loves to dawn this bright red net dress and purple wings. She Skypes me in her “butiful costume” as she says. This dress just makes her happy. In the photo Grandpa is reading to her. She now has new slippers that she wears even to bed.

Oh, wouldn’t we all want to be as free as a two year old? She doesn’t care what others think of her fashion choices. She likes them. She doesn’t worry if her family loves her. She knows they do and acts loved. She loves her babies, kisses them, and talks to them gently. She emanates the love she knows and feels.

She smiles often and giggles until she falls down. When we say “no” , she melts into the floor like a collapsing building. She says, “ no, Mimi” over and over just to hear herself say no to an adult. I hear that little voice in my head each day. She is demanding to be heard and does it boldly and like a two year old. I often tell her, "You are acting two, Ellie.” She replies, “No, Mimi”.

She reads constantly. She reads alone or brings me a book or anyone else who will read it to her. I love to watch her face as we read the familiar words and pictures. She lights up when she sees the babies playing with balloons and costumes. Her little jaw drops and her lips pout when we read about a baby who is crying. Her emotions are shaped by these words. Through these words she identifies with her life experiences and expectations. Books are her surge protector, her data base, her dictionary, and her entertainment. Once again Ellie has reminded her grandmother of some dynamic life principles.

Dress in what makes you happy. Pretend to be what you wish you were and soon it will be a part of your persona. Act loved because you are. Allow your emotions to be a part of you everyday. Read often, read often, read often. Words will inspire you and shape you. That child like spirit is irrepressible. She is naturally creative and makes me appreciate life more each day.