Song of a Six-Year-Old

Thanks for stopping by to share a moment with me. I'm glad you came. Lately I've been pondering Rachel's post on the legacies we build and how my daily choices really do matter.

A certain soon-to-be 6-year-old's upcoming birthday has been the focus of many discussions this week.

"How many days until my birthday?"

She now is able to count it down herself.

"What kind of pinata should we make?"

She made her own rainbow crayon-turned-rocket ship on Thursday.

Now I don't have to wonder where I will find the hours it took me to make the previous two pinatas. Birthday Girl whipped one up in about an hour. It was one of those "Oh, I guess you are not so dependent on me for everything anymore" moments.

I suppose that's one of the perks of laissez-faire (or as some might say, "free-range") parenting. Or if I look at it more positively, my past investments of time and energy in various creative projects are bearing fruit. I may just leave the decorating up to my kids as well, since they are so inclined. And I think I will set up a snack for them to assemble themselves. Though recent parties we've attended have included a craft, I have decided to buck the trend and skip that idea this time around. We could still call it a "DIY Party." How's that for a theme?

On the occasion of my daughter's first birthday in 2004, I composed a song. The last line predicted that "it won't be long 'til you sing your own song, as a child and beyond." My job is to teach her to discover her own "song" and sing it well. Whether it is a pinata, a painting, or learning to ride a bike, hearing her melody emerge is a bittersweet privilege of motherhood.