Perspective. It changes everything.
I have a daughter who...dances to a different song than the rest of us. Or as her Big Brother JB often exclaims with exasperation, "What's wrong with her! She's soooooo ditzy! Sooooo DUH!"
Case in point. JB is listening to his iPod while he does the dishes. The Princess Little Sister opens the fridge to forage for food when suddenly, she pauses. Looks around. Searching. A confused expression on her face. She calls to JB. "Come here! what is that?"
JB is curious. He stops washing dishes and comes over to the fridge, leans down and peers inside with the Princess. "What? What is it?"
"That! Can you hear it?"
JB cant hear anything. He moves closer. The Princess' eyes light up, "Its getting louder! Wow, can you hear it now? Take your ipod earphones off so you can hear it."
JB takes off the earphones. Listens. Still doesnt know what the Princess is talking about. "What? I dont hear anything. What are you talking about?!"
The Princess has pulled open the vegie drawer in the fridge and is gazing at the cabbage and carrots. Her face aglow with wonder. "The vegetables are singing!"
Finally it clicks for JB. He throws his hands up in the air. Frustrated yet again by his little sister. "You derrbrain - thats not the vegetables, that's the music from my iPod."
The Princess doesnt believe him and keeps going through the fridge a few minutes more, muttering to herself, "It was right here...I heard it...the singing was coming from somewhere in here..."
JB makes a big show of switching off his iPod. "See! iPod off - No more singing. Vegetables don't sing." He gives up. "Muuuuum, she's being a derrbrain again. Can you please tell her where the music is coming from?!"
Times like this can make a mother wonder if maaaaybeee being born two months early can possibly contribute to a little bit of derrrness in a child...But as I look at a daughter who talked to an imaginary cat when she was two, stayed up late at night spying on "moonlight fairies in the garden, Im going to catch them mum!", a daughter who loves to put HUGE plastic flowers in her hair, practise Beyonce's dance moves in front of the mirror, and already knows what she's going to wear when she sings on American Idol...A daughter who is, STILL staring inside the fridge with an awed look on her face - I am grateful.
Because I have a daughter who believes in the impossible and fanciful. Who believes in the possiblity - that vegetables can sing.