I often ask my four-year old muse to give me a topic to write about. As you know, she is a treasure chest of little golden writing nuggets. What she gave me was so much more than a topic. She managed to give her momma’s heart a lift.
Maddie told me to write about love. Hmmm…I’ve already written about that. So I ask her what I should say about love. She looked stumped. (I hope in a school somewhere, someday, someone asks her what I said next)
“Tell me more Maddie.”
She still was stumped and said, “I don’t know mommy. You’re the writer here.”
Hmmph. I ask, “Well, fill in this sentence for me then: Love is…”
“Love is the stars mommy.”
Seriously? This little wonder who has not a clue of the recent topics flowing from my brain to the keyboard hits on a line I would have, could have, should have included in those pieces? The look on my face must have prompted her because she went on to say that the stars are sparkly and love is sparkly and that the stars are shiny and love is shiny and that we love the stars and everyone loves love.
And then… “We love Papa, and Opa, and Uncle Steve and they are in the stars. So the stars are love.”
This wisdom. This outlook on life. This love and loss that she has so clearly accepted in the way only a child can do, without the bitterness and anger that floats into adulthood. She is sad and she misses them certainly, but in the next breath she is smiling and saying that we see the stars so we can see them. In the next moment she is going to the photo albums to run her fingers over their smiling faces.
I’m in awe. Life lessons from a four-year old thrust into this world of accepting loss. This pint-sized dynamo has so much to teach me. I turn to ask her what else she’d like to say about love and I find her back with her furry friends reenacting the most recent SpongeBob episode.
I have so much to learn.
Live, Love, Teach 
Out of the mouths of babes…. Picasso once said something to the effect that to took his whole life to learn to paint like a child. We should stop more often and try to think like children.
Inspiration comes from the smallest places sometimes. This was beautiful. I love that you allowed her to figure out what love meant to her. Just a great Slice to start my day!
What lovely dance the two of you do as writers. She has simplified things down so perfectly. We need to listen to our little ones more. This post is a keepsake.
Listening to kids is so special. They may not say things in our way, our time, our words….but we can learn so much from them by simply listening. What a wise soul, that young Maddie has. So touching.
I worry what Gabby would want me to write about. I think I may ask her….
Listening to Maddie is important and special! I love the way you set up your slice.
This piece is in competition for one of my favorite of your slices. It’s harder than it looks to truly capture a conversation in writing and you did it here. I also love how you wove your reflection into the conversation. That’s something we can teach kids to do with their writing.
I was thinking about what Diane said as I read this. It’s a challenge to convey a conversation like this in such a meaningful way without “overdoing” it. This is perfect. I can’t believe she’s only four! It’s amazing how they think and how they can put things into words so simply. Just remember, she’s learning all of that awesomeness from somewhere! 🙂
She is a treasure chest of little golden writing nuggets indeed! What an awesome conversation. Very well written. It was like you can envision the two of you sitting there. Thanks for sharing
I totally agree…..we can learn so much from the innocence of a sweet child. I hope that you will continue inspire us with Maddie’s words of wisdom!! She, like you, has a gift to be shared. Thank you for this!
Truly great that you listen and understand. What a gift you have in each other!
This is beautiful and if you wouldn’t have said, “Tell me more?”
Wow! With my mom recently admitted to the nursing home floor of the hospital and the two year anniversary of my dad’s death coming up on Friday, I can not tell you how much this post means to my heart. Thank you!
Maddie sounds like she has a beautiful soul!! Kids say the best things. So beautiful!!
I’m in love with all of this, Kim. Maddie’s rationalizations, ” stars are sparkly and love is sparkly and that the stars are shiny and love is shiny and that we love the stars and everyone loves love.” This is so beautiful on so many levels. Written so eloquently!
Just beautifully written and a soulful moment captured. I’m blown away by both your heartfelt honesty you share continually and with such subtle humor. And i spy with my little eye lovely alliterative lines. Love 🙂
This reminds me so much of the conversations with my two (almost three) year old. She amazes me all the time. Your Maddie reminds me of my Mallory already. I’ll be looking forward to more if your stories about her 🙂
Thanks for sharing Maddie’s beautiful words and yours. I will write down and try to remember to say “Tell me more” more often. Who doesn’t want to hear those words?
This is my favorite piece to date because it is just so simply stated and it comes across so eloquently. Thank you for sharing your daughter’s brilliance with us!