He had finished twirling and now he was jumping. Concentration, both knees bent, then a tiny flight in the air and a big thump forward. That’s a jump.
Watching my toddler, it looked like a whole lot of effort. It’s surprising how quickly we forget, how these things become second nature. (Not that I would want to actually jump around the room, you understand – so much effort involved.)
Bend…up-thump! Bend…up-thump! He was still doing it, all round the room, and his cheeks were growing rosy from the effort.
“Look, Mummy, I’m a kangaroo!”
I don’t know why it’s so hard to teach metaphor to secondary school kids – my preschooler knows it instinctively. He doesn’t say, ‘look mummy, I’m like a kangaroo’ – he jumps therefore he is. The similes, they come later, along with the self-doubt. The metaphor, the transformation, that’s instinctive. It’s there at the beginning. It is a freeing and terrifying thought, that if you do, you are.
Perhaps that makes me a writer.
Joining with Lisa-Jo Baker for Five-minute-Friday. This was my best five minutes on ‘jump’.
Over to you:
- “If you do, you are.” What would it excite you to say you are, if you follow this logic?
- And what would it dismay you to realise you’re not, if you follow this logic? (Hope that makes sense!)
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Tanya! Visiting from FMF AND our Story 101 class! Love your post! “Freeing and terrifying…” Yes, I just keep reminding myself that blessedly we are daily made new in Christ so if I mess up “doing,” we get a “do over!”
Yay! I’m so glad you joined up today!
Great post. Your son might like to know how animals (inc kangaroos) eat their food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnydFmqHuVo (warning – VERY silly and funny and may cause bouts of uncontrollable laughter and giggling…)
I think my boy would love this… Though I’m not sure I’d want him to emulate it!
“he jumps therefore he is. ” Love this about my son as well! They become. Nicely done
Thanks, Eileen – nice to see you on here again!
Dear Tanya
Oh, you have a sweet boy. Mine used to climb up lamp poles that had that bend on top and then call me to come and check out their bravery. I remember calling my husband at work telling him to phone the fire brigade to come and get them off. He only replied that if they were able to get up, they were able to get down as well! Boys, such hooligans!!!
Much love
Mia
Oh boy!!
Hoping I haven’t got that to come…!
Really enjoy your writing.
Thanks, Denise – I really appreciate that!
Oh yes, you are! No great leap of faith required. Anyone reading your blog can see how gifted you are as a writer. Believing comes easy to toddlers. We tend to be evidence and confirmation seekers before we feel anywhere close to believing good things about ourselves. No perhaps about your pondering here, Tanya. The evidence is clear to see. Believe and receive it, my friend! Bless you 🙂 xx
It’s always easier to believe in others, isn’t it? Thanks for always believing in me. And I LOVED your fmf post today, lady!
You’re definitely a writer! 🙂
Great post – thanks for sharing.
God bless,
Lois
Why, thank you!
I love the innocence children bring with them, that feeling that they can do anything they want to. My little girl often shouts “I’m flying” even when her feet are flat on the ground. It’s the belief that we can do anything we want to…when do we lose that? Imagine how amazing the world would be if people never had a moment of self doubt? Thank you for writing this, it’s made me stop and think today.
I love that picture of your little girl declaring she’s flying! It is – that, exactly – that confidence that I wanna get. Thanks so much for stopping by and for feeling it with me!